


A heart and a beak

by MinaGermany



Series: Vladimir Duckula [4]
Category: Count Duckula
Genre: Antanasia, Dorin - Freeform, F/M, Vladimir Duckula
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:14:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27778963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MinaGermany/pseuds/MinaGermany
Summary: It is not the first time that butler Igor has put a "surprise" in the fridge for his masters. But this time it turns out completely different than the vulture imagined.
Series: Vladimir Duckula [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2031967





	1. Chapter 1

  
The woman in the fridge

  
Igor heard sounds from the castle in the middle of the night. Nothing unusual for a vampire castle. But for a few years now, since the new gentleman introduced the custom of sleeping at night, it was unusual. So the butler got up to see what was going on.  
He followed the noises and saw a Vladimir standing by the window looking out into the night.  
"Do the old vampire customs get through with them?" Igor asked politely.  
"Do I look like Igor as if I want to go hunting now?" in fact, Vladimir didn't make that impression in his nightgown. He looked very thoughtful.  
"No Igor ... it's only sometimes memories keep me awake ..." he looked out of the window again "... unfortunately I didn't get the grace of forgetting like my brother."  
Igor groaned at the word "mercy", but Vladimir simply ignored it. "It must be nice not to be able to remember a lot of things. I don't think that he could sleep so well if he knew exactly what he was doing in all incarnations."  
Vladimir paused and then went on, regardless of whether Igor wanted to listen to him or not.  
"Mortals are well off when they return, they usually don't remember anything."  
"You believe in the rebirth of mortals?" asked Igor.  
Vladimir laughed. "We, my family, are vampire ducks! You are a butler who has served in this for almost 900 years! The castle can travel from place to place ... My brother is also my father and my grandfather, just like his father and again his father and so on and so on ... then why shouldn't I believe in rebirths? "  
He looked at Igor. "In my ears it sounds more than plausible."  
Igor didn't answer, he just stood next to Vladimir. "And what is bothering you, young sir? Have you committed any crimes?"  
Vladimir shook his head. "No. There are other things that keep haunting me." He sighs.  
"Another question Igor. I went through the records of what our family owned. But I didn't find anything up-to-date. Except for the title deed of the castle. Igor ... why is our family so impoverished? Were we expropriated?"  
This time Igor sigh, he probably didn't want to talk about it.  
"I don't blame you Igor. I know what was going on in this country, even when I was far from here."  
"I'm sorry, but I couldn't help it ... I couldn't save anything except the castle."  
Vladimir looked at Igor and patted him on the shoulder. "It's all right Igor. I'm not blaming you. It is an achievement in itself that you were able to keep the castle for the family. And I also understand that you had to sell a lot when none of us were there."  
"Thank you for understanding young sir."  
Vladimir nodded. "You know what Igor, we sit down at the table and we have a chat?"  
Igor agreed, he was even happy about Vladimir's offer.  
When Igor told the ancestors of the Duckula's about the history of the family from the old days, Vladimir only listened to pass his own thoughts.  
At some point Igor noticed that the young men's eyes kept closing.  
Igor picked him up and carried him to his bed. Vladimir was light in weight. It reminded Igor of days gone by when he carried little Vladimir to sleep in the coffin.  
Now Vladimir no longer slept in a coffin, but got used to the same naughtiness as his lord the count, to sleep in a bed .. And yet when Igor, the young gentleman lay down to sleep and covered, Igor could not help. To remember the old days.  
Vladimir almost looked like back then ... only now he had a scarred face. Igor suspected that it wasn't just his face that was scarred. Maybe he could make Vladimir happy?

  
When the next Count Duckula got up in the kitchen and let Emma take care of him, Vladimir did not appear, so he asked about him.  
"Is Vladimir not well? Why isn't he coming?"  
"Oh no my lord, he's doing very well. He's downstairs and chasing his breakfast." replied Igor.  
Count Duckula fell from his hand in terror. "He won't be ...!"  
"Oh no sir, unfortunately not ..." Igor sigh. "... he is not in the village to hunt the common people - he is in the basement for ..."  
Igor didn't get any further. Because Count Duckula had already disappeared with a flash. To reappear in the basement.  
Vladimir turned and looked at him, holding a mouse in his beak with a canine tooth that was still squeaking.  
Count Duckula hesitated at the sight. "Sorry ... sorry ... I" he choked "... I sometimes forget what you are!"  
Vladimir rolls his eyes. Sucked the mouse out and spat it on the floor.  
Which seemed even more disgusting to his brother.  
"I only protected your food." Vladimir replied, "Besides, being a vampire is a trait that I have inherited from someone ... who is very close to me."  
He looked the earl straight in the eye. Count Duckula waved it off. "It's okay ... I was your father. Even if I don't understand it."  
"And what did you want from me before you bothered me at breakfast?"  
"Nothing ... I just missed you. Would you please come up to us right away?"  
Count Duckula tried to turn away, but turned again to Vladimir. "And if you would, please move the mouse away before coming. I don't like it if you leave the food there."  
"Of course, as the Lord wish ..."  
Vladimir watched his brother disappear with a flash. After all, it looked as if he was able to use his ability in a targeted manner and, above all, no longer refused it.

Later, when Vladimir went to the others, he threw the dead mouse far out of the window.  
At the same moment he heard an urgent scream from his brother. "IIIIIGGGGGOOOOORRRR!"  
Before Vladimir reached the kitchen from which the scream had come, he heard what it was about.  
"Igor's a village girl in the fridge again!" Count Duckula was upset. "You know this is not tolerated, I'm a vegetarian! It's just… disgusting!"  
"It wasn't meant for you, my lord, it should be a surprise for Vladimir."  
"Vladimir? What has he got to do with it?"  
"Well he is a bloodsucker ... and I thought I would make him happy, a surprise ... only he preferred to go to the basement to ... chase mice. Therefore this unfortunate misunderstanding - it is intended for Vladimir. Not for her Milord. "  
"Whether Vladimir is a bloodsucker or not Igor. I am the man at home here and I do not tolerate anything like that! Vladimir…"  
Count Duckula didn't get any further because Vladimir opened the door.  
"And I don't tolerate something like that to Igor. You may have managed a surprise - but not a joy ... on the contrary."  
Vladimir went to the fridge. He had heard something that gave him hope. He opened the fridge and his hope was confirmed.  
"She is still alive ... her heart is beating ..." Vladimir grabbed her and carefully took the girl out.  
"Quickly Fridolin, we need a warm blanket ... we put it on the stove to warm it up ... Emma, please make her a warm tea!"  
Count Duckula was eager to get blankets, pulled them to the warm stove with Vladimir and wrapped them in the blankets.  
"She's still alive?" he asked Vladimir.  
"Was only passed out, I think, but you can hear her heart beating ..." Vladimir took a few steps away from her and gave a concert. He could see the blood circulating around her body. He nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Igor. Which was disapproving.  
"How do you come to make me happy?"  
"Now her parents and ancestors were always happy when I made them a surprise."  
"Of course ... all my ancestors died very young for that! You couldn't give us any worse service than to incite the whole population against us! Who will be blamed Igor? Him, Count Duckula - and me once they do know about me! "Vladimir snorted.  
"We have to live with your strange views. If you absolutely want to play in the torture chamber - well. As long as you don't" bother "it ... we can hardly throw them in the bulky waste!"  
"Oh sir!" replied Igor, horrified.  
Count Duckula meanwhile turned and grinned at Vladimir. Throwing the torture chamber onto the bulky waste was a seductive thought ... but not really feasible.  
He turned back to the young woman. "Vladimir, she's waking up." he noticed.  
Vladimir went to him and looked at her. He took her hand and felt her pulse.  
When the young woman slowly opened her eyes, she looked right into Vladimir's face. And started screaming loudly. Vladimir immediately released her hand and jumped backwards.  
"Alright! Alright! ... I think it's better if you take care of it Fridolin - you have no teeth in your face."  
Fridolin? the name seemed to confuse the young woman, especially when the count came up to her and tried to calm her down.  
"You don't need to be afraid, that's just Vladimir ... he's harmless. He's not the count ..." erected his full size. "I am Count Duckula."  
It was probably not the right words that should have a calming effect. Because immediately she screamed again.  
"Should I silence her?" Igor noticed dryly and with a certain growl in his voice.  
"Beware!" the answer came from both beaks of the Duckula's at the same time.  
He tried Count Duckula again, he took the hot tea from Emma and walked towards the young woman. "Calm down ... you're not in danger ... it's all right.  
See ... I'm vegetarian ... I don't drink blood. And Vladimir ... is a tamed vampire. "  
Vladimir rolled his eyes and snorted. He didn't like him when he was called "tamed".  
When Count Duckula came up with the cup of tea, the young woman was back on the verge of screaming in panic. But this time she didn't get that far.  
A strict voice, slowed her down. "Now don't be silly! Duckyputz Duckula just wants to offer you a hot tea!"  
Vladimir soon burst out laughing when he heard Emma, but the laugh died away in the next moment.  
"And Vladimir Floh isn't dangerous either, so be polite and accept it!"  
The young woman looked at Emma in shock, but really fell silent and Count Duckula was given the tea.  
"Well ... why not like that?" Emma commented. "and now you thank them politely."  
"There ... thanks ..." she stared at the count. "You Duc ... Duckyputz Duckula?"  
Count Duckula looked at her. "No ... no ... my name is Count Fridolin Duckula." he looked briefly at Vladimir. "for a year at least."  
"Fridolin?"  
"That means" the Peaceful, "Vladimir gave me this name. See ... I don't want to do anything to anyone. I'm not like my ancestors. I'm ... different!"  
She reluctantly sipped the hot tea. "And who is Vladimir?"  
"Vladimir ... is my brother."  
"There is a second duckula? Nobody in the village knows about it!"  
Vladimir sighed. Now it was out! after so many decades. But at some point it would have come out anyway. So he stepped forward, but not close enough to frighten her again.  
"I am the son of the previous count."  
"But ... but ... there was no new count until he came back!"  
"That's right. I was long gone - and besides, I was never the count, I was never entitled to the title."  
She shook her head. "There was never a son of Count Duckula!"  
"Now in front of them is the proof that it was." Vladimir commented on her words.  
"You know Miss, I didn't know either. Until he suddenly stood at the door."  
That was too much! far too much for Igor! "My lord, why are you telling her everything ?! THAT is not a good thing! The Duckulas should have their secrets! The common people are not concerned with everything!" he protested loudly.  
Vladimir involuntarily licked his beak. He wasn't quite there either. But maybe…?  
"It would come out sooner or later that I exist. Igor. I am no longer a small child, that one has to keep it secret."  
"But their names ... why did it have to be !?" groaned Igor.  
"It's no shame to be called" Fridolin "."  
"Bahhhhh ..." Igor groaned loudly. "... this name!"  
"Is a very common name Old High German name Igor. Should I remind you what" Vladimir "means? And YOU gave me this name."  
Vladimir crossed his arms and looks challenging Igor.  
"No young gentleman ... better not."  
"My name is Antanasia." Everyone turned to the young woman.  
Finally Count Duckula walked up to her, took her hand and kissed her on the hand. "Delighted to meet you, dear Antanasia. And forgive us for the outrageous nature of our butler."  
She looked at him irritated ... with everyone she had expected, certainly not!  
Vladimir grinned contentedly and looked at Igor who was standing next to him.  
"It is improper," the butler remarked to him. "it belongs to the rabble ... it doesn't belong!"  
"What about my mother?" asked Vladimir quietly, turning to him.  
"Your wife's mother was not a noblewoman, but she belonged to the upper middle class."  
"And if so ..."  
"She is a farmer's daughter!" outraged Igor. "and he belongs to a noble family!"  
"Landadel Igor ... we are not a nobility. And anyway ... what time do you come from with such antiquated views ...?" Vladimir looked at Igor and cleared his throat.  
"Forget it ... I forgot how old you are. Ridiculous remark from me." he crossed his arms. "In your case, you have the right to think so."  
Vladimir watched his brother and the involuntary visit for a moment. Finally he turned around.  
"I think we should leave them alone now ..."  
"Like you my young master." Igor reluctantly obeyed the order. Just like Emma. Which did not want to leave her little duck cleaning with her alone.  
So they left the room.

The young lady, however, barely uttered a word, just stared at the young count, who, in order to get her attention, had all the repertoire he could offer.  
Count Duckula danced in front of her, spun like a ballerina, and twirled his cape around so that it puffed up. He stopped in front of her, looked her in the eye and practiced a "seductive" rash. Then to jump from left to right alternately. Grab the cape with one hand and hold it close under its beak to turn in circles. He leapt into the air and landed skillfully on his fins. He bowed to her, dancing the kazachok ... and, panting, held on to a chair. But quickly recovered and gathered himself again. He practiced his rash again.  
"Dear Miss ... I hope you are not married?"  
She shook her head and stared at him speechless.  
"Guuuut. I'm going to start all over again… dear Miss… I feel honored to welcome Count Duckula to my castle… and it would be nice for me to show more… private rooms of the castle…"  
She just sat there staring at him, there was no answer.  
She just couldn't believe what she was experiencing, what was that ?! was she dead, fantasizing? were they delusions in a dream?

Count Duckula apologized and disappeared briefly to find Vladimir.  
This was in his room and was about to re-tune his violin.  
"Vladi ... Vladimir ... I don't know what's going on with her? She doesn't talk at all!"  
Vladimir looked at his breathless brother. "I think she doesn't know what to think of all of this?"  
"How? What? What should she think of me?"  
Vladimir raised an eyebrow. "I guess she's going to think you're a pretty ... banged guy."  
"Go ... Vladimir what are you allowing yourself ?! don't forget who you are talking to!" Count Duckula was outraged.  
His brother put the violin aside, "I didn't forget who I was talking to. I was just wondering how it might feel you ... given your ... your ... manner."  
Count Duckula crossed her arms. "And you mean she thinks I'm" crazy "?"  
"Would be at least possible."  
"And ... maybe you have an idea how I can get to her?"  
"You mean get a kiss or something?"  
"That would be a start!"  
Vladimir considered. He shrugged and then grinned. "Maybe you should eat spaghetti with her?"  
"Spagetti ... how is that supposed to solve my problem?"  
Vladimir's grin broadened. "Well, I mean a plate! ... you just have to grab the same spaghetti ..."  
Count Duckula was outraged. At least at the beginning. "As with ... THAT is the stupidest suggestion ... that ... that ... it's awesome! ... and I already have an idea!"  
with these words he ran away again.  
Vladimir looked after him and took up his violin again.  
Shortly thereafter, the castle trembled.  
Vladimir sighed and rolled his eyes. Travel ... it just wasn't his interest anymore.

  
He was playing a piece on the violin when Igor entered his room. His mood didn't seem to be the best.  
"Young sir, did you persuade him?"  
"What did Igor talk you into?"  
"Milord has traveled to Italy to eat spagetti with these farmer women!"  
"Oh ..." Vladimir didn't know any more about that.  
"So it was your idea?"  
"The spaghetti yes ... but not Italy." He put the violin aside again, went to the window and looked out.  
"Oh ... well ... if Mr. Graf does something - then thoroughly! Spagetti - in Italy."  
Vladimir leaned against the window and looked out. He wished his brother good luck.

  
Antanasia stepped out of the castle at the count's hand. Where were you now? There had to be voices, she was as good as death and only fantasized.  
"I took the liberty of taking us to warmer areas. Should it be more pleasant for you after you've been so cool?"  
Whatever the fantasy dream was, he was totally insane, Antanasia said. She would hardly go through a place in Italy with the dreaded Count Duckula by the hand - and now he invited her over for dinner!  
THAT would be her end now. He would surely bite her now! and then this crazy dream would end.  
Count Duckula led the young woman to a table and ordered spaghetti with vegetarian tomato sauce.  
"But please bring us a big plate! - and two forks ... you understand?" He winked at the waiter.  
The waiter looked at him helplessly, he didn't understand anything. But after all, the customer was king - or in this case, rather count. What the waiter knew nothing about, however.  
"What wine does the Lord want?"  
"Wine?" For a moment, Count Duckula was irritated. He had never drunk wine! but he didn't want to embarrass himself either. "which would you recommend to me?"  
"Sauvignon Blanc, Ebling or Silvane."  
"Um ... which one tastes the most fruity?"  
"In this case I would recommend a Vin Santo. Its taste is a little citrus, which includes lovage, pument and cardamom, a little clove and star anise in the finish it tastes a bit of coffee and gingerbread."  
Count Duckula nodded. He didn't understand anything about it, but in that case he would have to rely on the waiter.  
"Then bring us a bottle of it."  
It didn't take long for them to be delivered to the table, along with wine glasses. The waiter opened the bottle and read the count.  
The taste was ... unusual ... a bit bitter ... but also fruity. That alone did not help the count show anything.  
Finally they started to eat the spaghetti, but there was no real conversation, it was very one-sided.  
At least until they started drinking the wine ...  
"Your eyes are just wonderful ... I could be lent in them ... lent ... lost ..." whispered Count Duckula.  
Antanasia started giggling. "It must be a dr ... dre ... dream ... iiiii I sit with Couuuuntttt Ducklllllual ..."  
"It is…. Is… is… ne… act… dream… dream… from… but my… mine…. know… you know that you are a… wond… wonderful… baarrre Fru… fruit… no .. are women !? "  
Count Duckula shook, holding on to his beak. What was his beak talking about?  
"In the end… in the end, please… me… my beaaaaaak… i… … don't know…. No… not… when he was talking!"  
She starts to laugh. "You ... are ... so funny!"  
Count Duckula gulped. "I ... I ... don't drink ... otherwise ... alll ... alll ... wine!"  
"You drink ... Bl ... Blll blood!"  
The count began to choke. "No ... that's Disguuuuustttttting!" he looked at her. "... i ... I just drink my greetings!"  
He paused. Was there anything wrong with that? but what?  
Finally the waiter put the steaming spaghetti on the table after the wait, the count and his guest. As desired with two forks, which he handed them. He still shakes his head inside. "Pasta with Green Pesto". He declared kindly.  
They started eating. Meanwhile, Antanasia was too freaked out to find the fact of eating a plate strange.  
They continued to talk, drink wine and eat their spaghetti with pesto.  
"Then s ... sin are you k ... a wlampire?"  
Count Duckula pointed at himself with a fork. "I ... I ... am a veg .. veg .. vegellarian ... a vegetable wlampire!" he proudly said "... and fruit." he added.  
"And ... the .. this other one?"  
"Vla ... Vladi ... me ... he issel Bl ... bloodsucker. A ... a ... but only ... only rodddddentttt…" he looked at her. "... are you ... a rodent?"  
She considered for a moment. "No."  
Count Duckula looked at the plate again. "There ... then it's good!"  
In fact, both managed to put the same spagetti on the fork and then into the beak ... and the miracle happened ... the beaks touched gently.  
Vladimir's proposal was open! Count Duckula was beaming with happiness!  
Antanasia reacted embarrassed, but in any case not negative.

  
Igor was getting nervous in the castle. "Milord has been away for so long now. It's time for him to come back!"  
He only glanced at Vladimir, then looked at Nanny. "Come on Nanny, we're going to take the count home now. It's time."  
"Please don't forget to bring his lady visit back too. We don't want her to be left alone in Italy?" interjected Vladimir.  
Igor groaned, actually it would be just right for him.  
"I insist!" Vladimir underlined his words.  
With a groan, Igor agreed, Vladimir's words were unmistakably an order, which he couldn't contradict as a butler.  
So he started walking with Nanny. It wasn't long before they found their host sitting at the table with the young woman. They both looked at each other, the plate was eaten empty and the wine bottle was empty on the table.  
Count Duckula hiccups. The waiter came out and gave him the bill. Hickste Graf Duckula again, but with fright.  
He reached into his pocket and gave the waiter everything he had. "Th ... the rest ... eat for them!"  
This counted. "But that's not enough!"  
"I ... always nice ... know ... with the tip." warned Count Duckula.  
"I didn't mean the tip!"  
At that moment Igor and Emma arrived, the butler gave the waiter such a look that he immediately fell silent.  
"You should be lucky to have caused such a drake of nobility at all!"  
"But…"  
"Nothing but come on Emma, grab his escort now! We're going!"  
He grabbed Count Duckula by the collar and carried him away. Emma followed with Antanasia.  
"Thanks ... e ... I ... Igor!" Hottest Count Duckula.  
"Actually, it would do them good to wash dishes again!" Igor growled.

  
Vladimir stood at the gate and was already waiting for the returnees.  
"I'm going to put Duckyboos in bed now," said she "such a bad drake! He's completely drunk!"  
Vladimir frowned and took a closer look at his brother, who smiled foolishly at him. "It was ... sore ... beautiful."  
"He's not drunk Emma, he's just a little tipsy. Nothing that a night's sleep won't cure."  
Igor was about to take Antanasia away, but Vladimir stopped him. "No! I take care of the young lady ... I don't really trust you!"  
With that he led her away. Igor growled.  
Vladimir stayed at her bed all night. He really didn't trust Igor and wanted to prevent him from giving the story another twist.  
At some point the castle traveled back.  
Sunrise Middle - Transylvanian local time.

Vladimir was quite tired and exhausted, but hardly startled when they were home. He went to the window and looked out.  
Then he ran into his brother's room and gently woke him up.  
"Wake up you sleepyhead!"  
"Vladimir! What's that ?! Count Duckula wanted to pull the blanket over his head, but Vladimir held it tight.  
"No! Listen for yourself ..." With that Vladimir went to the window, opened the curtains and opened the window. "listen carefully!"  
Voices came up to the castle, voices several people went up to the castle.  
"... a stake through the vampire's heart!" they sang half.  
Startled, Count Duckula jumped up and ran to Vladimir's window.  
Down there, a pack of farmers from the village came toward them, armed with pitchforks and torches. "... now we’ll kill him!"  
Garf Duckula swallowed.  
"I think you should send your lady visit home now." noticed Vladimir. "You think you killed her."  
Count Duckula no longer paid attention to the fact that he was still wearing his nightgown, he ran out of his room, afterwards to show Vladimir where she was sleeping.  
Count Antanasia shook awake. She blinked at him sleepily. "You have to go now!"  
"But why?" she yawned.  
"Your people ... they want to kill me!" He ran to the window and opened it so that she could hear it too.  
"... a stake through the heart of the vampire! Kill the beast!"  
Antanasia looked down, then at the count. "It's better if I go now ..." she gave him another kiss when she left the room.  
Which paralyzed him. She glanced at Vladimir somewhat skeptically.  
"I ... I'll take you to the gate." Still in nightgown, Count Duckula led her to the gate.  
Before she stepped out, she turned to face him again. "Thank you. For a wonderful day."  
The villagers had almost reached the entrance to the castle when they came to them.  
They looked at her in amazement. "You live?!"  
"Yes ... and I'm fine!" she smiled. "The count is so ... nice ... he invited me to Italy to eat spaghetti."  
According to these statements, all those present decided that the poorest had to be turned over ... but for the time being they refrained from killing the feared vampire count and went back to the village.

Meanwhile, Count Duckula and Vladimir stood at an upper window to watch them go.  
"What will become of us now?" remarked Count Duckula.  
"Who" us ", you and you? - I don't know. I hope that this won't turn into Romeo and Juliet's story. If you mean both of us. I don't know either. You will now find out that there are two Duckulas. And whether this alleviates her anger ... it probably also depends on her. "  
Vladimir considered. He wasn't quite there. Whether they believed the story of the vegetarian counts, and if ... what became of him? After all, there was still a bloodsucker in the castle ... and THAT was Vladimir.  
Vladimir shook off the thought, turned to his. "And you had a nice day yesterday?"  
"Oh yes ... wonderful!" He sighed contentedly. "She kissed me! She likes me! ... maybe more than that?"  
"Maybe." Vladimir nodded. He wished his brother, although he knew that relationships with mortals were difficult. Because they were just one mortal! their life expectancy was far below that of a vampire ... if you disregard the life expectancy of their family members.

It was a Tuesday. This Tuesday Count Duckula was not on the battlements to scream, but to sing a love song. It was a little weird, but the will counts, accompanied by his brother playing the violin.

Igor stood there growling. His only reassuring thought was that the singing might scare off a villager.


	2. fire dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Count Duckula would like to see his new girlfriend again at a village festival with folk dancing. But we made a dance on fire for him ...

Count Duckula didn't sleep long that night, he got up very early and ran restlessly around the castle. Vladimir's fine ears had heard it. So he got up and went to see his brother. It was surprising that the count was already dressed for the day. Vladimir, however, was still wearing his nightgown.  
"I what little brother?" asked Vladimir yawning.  
"Why can't it be later?" Replied the count.  
"And how do you come up with that, Fridolin?"  
"Stupid question Vladimir! I want to go back to the village and visit my sweetheart ... I confess my love ... you ..."  
Vladimir calmly watched the count move back and forth with these words.  
"So you want to go to the village immediately ... and let yourself be lynched?"  
"Yes of course!" the count hesitated, "No, of course not! what are you talking about?"  
"Do you know where she lives exactly?"  
"Uh no."  
"Do you know exactly that you will be welcomed?"  
"No…."  
"I tell you," Vladimir slapped him on the shoulder gently. "You don't know anything about it. But what we do know is that you were never ... received in a friendly manner. Just wait until it comes up."  
"What if she doesn't get up?"  
"Then she doesn't love you either." Vladimir saw his disappointed face. He sighed. "Fridolin ... if she loves you, she knows about the danger you're exposed down there. She won't want it - and then come to you. I can't advise you more."  
"What if you don't let her go?"  
"She'll find a way ..." Vladimir yawned again. "... come on brother heart, give it a rest now. His day hasn't started yet."  
With that Vladimir went away to his room. Count Duckula watched him go. "You've never been in love either."  
He had often tried to find a woman, but so far he had been rejected without exception. The experience yesterday was something completely new. It gave him hope of an end to life as a single drake. Once he had done it, Vladimir was the living proof of it! And now ... it seemed to be within reach again.  
Count Duckula decided that he had waited long enough. He wanted to greet his new, correction, only girlfriend, in the morning. After all, there was a chance that at that time not so many villagers would be awake and sleeping. And find them?  
He would do that, after all, Vladimir himself had said that vampires had special senses.  
So he went to the gate and opened it carefully, as quietly as possible, so that no one should notice. And wanted to sneak down to the village ...

… Vladimir was lying in his bed, suddenly he felt like he had heard something. Was someone dead? But who?  
It wasn't Von Goosewing, he didn't feel that certain presence that made his feathers stand on end.  
Vladimir got up, looked out the window, and started to smell. He had to concentrate to see who was going there ... but who he saw was clear!  
"That idiot!" it escaped him. Angrily, he hurriedly took off his nightgown, put on his shirt and ran down as quickly as possible.  
He absolutely had to catch up with him before an accident happened.

Count Duckula was halfway down when Vladimir finally caught up with him.  
"Wait! Wait for me!"  
The count stopped and turned to Vladimir. "You want to come with me?" he asked in astonishment.  
"Not really." Vladimir shook his head and held on to his brother.  
"If you want to stop me, Vladimir, you can go again! I will not be stopped!" With that he broke free of Vladimir's grip and strode on determinedly.  
"I'm going to my loved one now! and will confess my love to her!"  
Vladimir snorted, but then ran after him again. "Before you will be there, they will lynch you!"  
"Nonsense ... it's way too early."  
"Most of them are farmers ... what do you think they are doing at this time?"  
Count Duckula paused for a moment. He thought of his short time in which he worked as a farmhand, with Grandpa Stick and Grandma Müffel.  
"And if anything, nothing will happen to me!" so he went on. Vladimir afterwards. "Where do you want to get that from?"  
"Because you're with me! You won't let anything happen to me."  
"And how do you want to know THAT?"  
"You've been running after me all the time, so please!"  
Vladimir stopped dead. And ran a hand through her hair. "I have to be crazy ... I have to be totally crazy ..."  
Count Duckula continued to grin but grinned to himself. "So, I was right? You won't let me down."  
Vladimir snorted again. "YES you are right! But only because I am totally crazy!" he caught up with him and walked alongside him.

The closer they came to the village, the more careful they became. Pushing themselves against the walls from house to house.  
"And do you know where she lives now?" Vladimir asked his brother in a whisper.  
"No. But you're there."  
"What does this mean?" hissed Vladimir back.  
"You will be able to smell them." the count whispered. They watched a farmer out of the corner of his eye, who almost passed him and we would have noticed them if they hadn't just stepped around the corner.  
"I'm a vampire - and not a bloodhound!"  
"Bloodhound or vampire ... what is it? You have the ability, I know it!" the count whispered to him.  
"And how do you come up with it?"  
"You survived in the wild and you told me what a vampire can do."  
"You are one too!"  
"Yes, but not trained like that."  
Vladimir rolled his eyes, then sighed. "Very well ... follow me."  
"With pleasure!"  
Vladimir closed his eyes for a moment, concerted, stretching his beak into lust and starting to pick up the weather, and not just this.  
Everything in him seemed to change, just as he now perceived his surroundings completely differently. Everything was in motion, everything shrouded in vibration and light, shadows and colors.  
What Vladimir felt most was the immediate danger. He tried to shake off the thought and concentrated on that young woman.  
He took Count Duckula's hand and took him with him.  
Again and again she had to disappear in a corner, press against walls, and persevere until the danger was over.  
"What was I getting involved in…" Vladimir swore under his breath.  
Finally, Vladimir had found her home. If he showed the house to his brother now, the boy would run blindly. So he preferred not to say anything.  
More and more people woke up, more and more came out of their houses, greeted each other warmly and went to work.  
Only she didn't get out of the house yet.  
"She's in there! I know it!" Vladimir heard his brother's voice behind him. He was about to start when Vladimir grabbed him and yanked him back.  
"Not so fast! There…"  
But he didn't get any further. Beautifully she heard a voice not far from them.  
"YOU ARE HERE! THE VAMPIRES ARE HERE !!!" it was the host of "Bloody Fang".  
Vladimir and the count looked at each other. "RUN!" they both cried out.  
But it was not that easy ... more and more people came out and walked towards them, some armed with pitchforks. While a few even got plow and hammer and a few even torches.  
"She was right! ... there are two!"  
Again and again they had to change their escape route. they were increasingly cornered.  
"Two vampires? Since when are there two?"  
"It doesn't matter! Now they will pay for their actions!"  
"I'm vegetarian!" the count cried out in despair. "let me explain it!"  
"Liar!"  
"But ... but I'm not lying! Please let me explain!" the count begged her.  
"You are not in the mood for anything to be explained." growled Vladimir softly.  
"Right! First act, then questions!" one of the residents replied.  
"How ... how stupid ... if you killed us ... you couldn't ask us anymore!" Count Duckula's voice sounded somewhat shrill.  
"And if so ... we'll be rid of you!"  
They walked slowly towards the two vampire ducks. Vladimir glanced behind him. There was a gap, only a small one, but it was there.  
"Get off brother!" he hissed at the count. "get off the lock!"  
"But ... but ... how am I supposed to do that?"  
Vladimir rolled his eyes to growl in the next moment. "DISAPPEAR!"  
Now the count understood what he meant. With a short flash and thunder, he vanished into thin air to reappear in the castle.  
"NANNY !!! IGOR !!!!! COMES FAST, VLADIMIR IS IN DANGER !!!"Vladimir had now turned around in a flash and disappeared between the people's camps to run towards the castle, a roaring crowd of people behind him. But when he was on the sidewalk to the castle, more came out and cut him off.  
Vladimir immediately braked and turned. He was trapped. Vladimir had learned that attack was the worst of all possibilities. So he did what he had learned in the wild. Hiss! as loud and terrifying as possible!  
It also impressed his opponents. Not long enough, however. And the back rows did not allow the front rows to escape either.  
"Where's Vladimir !?" Igor had rushed to the count.  
Nanny had broken through several walls to get to her Duckyboos as soon as possible.  
"Down in the village!" the count whined. "You want to kill him!"  
"Quick ... we have to save young men!" Igor lean out, Nanny behind.  
Count Duckula stayed behind, he was so scared! Walking around in circles, he could hear the voice of the people in the village below. He could hear that they had surrounded his brother.  
"What am I doing ?! What am I doing ??? !!!" He was running around in a desperate circle and always rubbing his hair. "It may be too late until Igor and Emma are down." He spoke to himself. "I couldn't stand it ... I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to Vladimir! ... it's all my fault! ... What am I doing? What am I doing? !!"  
He stopped abruptly. "Pull yourself together! Pull yourself together! ... they will kill me ... and they will kill Vladimir! ... but ....? .... Oh what the hell ?!"  
He hurled his cape around. There was another flash and a bang ...  
... in the next moment he stood protectively from Vladimir.  
"DISAPPEARS!" he shouted at the people. "I'M THE COUNT HERE! AND I COMMAND YOU TO GO!"  
"What are you doing here?" hissed Vladimir to the count.  
"I couldn't let you down."  
"You really seem very impressed ..." Vladimir replied cynically, avoiding a torch.  
Count Duckula trembled, "Igor and Nanny are coming." He had to duck as he avoided a pitchfork.  
"I hope they are not late ..."  
With the pitchforks and torches in front, the circle tightened around them.  
A torch was right in front of their faces when they heard a loud cry, and the voice was not one of their servants.  
"NO! Listen! Leave them alone!"  
This someone made her way by pushing aside everyone who stood in her way.  
"Antanasia!" exclaimed Count Duckula when he recognized her.  
She stopped right in front of him and then turned back to her people. "Leave him alone ... he didn't do anything to you!"  
She turned back to the counts, looked him in the eye, and held his head briefly.  
"He is so friendly. He was eating with me! Nothing happened! He is harmless!"  
The peasants looked at her as if she had gone mad. Your next look a lot at Vladimir.  
"And what about HIM? ... just look at his teeth!"  
Count Duckula now stood before Vladimir. "You don't do anything to him! He is under my protection!" And wondered where he got his courage from.  
"And the count is under my protection!" with these words Antanasia stood protectively before Count Duckula.  
The staff arrived at that moment. Nanny made her way through the looming crowd behind Vladimir like a steamroller.  
"Nobody does our Duckyboos and Flea what to suffer!" she scolded.  
"Right Emma! Although ... please don't call her that!" Igor appeared behind her.  
"Duckyboos...Flea ..." the peasants backed away from Nanny's crushed violence.  
"So it is correct! And now you go back like dear farmers and do your work!" the big chicken snapped at her.  
Faced with violence, they dropped their weapons, backed away, and left the scene.  
"Boo ... THAT was last minute rescue!" The count breathed a sigh of relief.  
"Oh poor ... did the bad people scare you?"  
Evidently, Vladimir and Count Duckula turned to Nanny together. "No ... Em .... pfffff!"  
They couldn't get any more, Nanny had managed to lift and hug them both at the same time.  
"Oh you poor!"  
Tried to comfort both of them as they struggled for air.  
"What the rabble didn't do, you can do Nanny. Read her! Nanny read her!"  
Nanny obeyed. Count Duckula and Vladimir fell to the ground and gasped.  
Igor looked at the two vampire ducks. "I would suggest going back to the castle now ... we'll talk there." he added,

Antanasia was the only one who hadn't left, she just stood there and speechlessly watched the scene.  
When her father called her back, she turned shortly after him. "No dad! I'll come later!" she called to him.  
With quick determination she followed the noble brothers and their staff up to the castle.  
"Antanasia! Are you crazy ?! Come back immediately!"

Once in the castle, Igor sat up in front of the two vampire ducks. "I want to know who came up with this idea?"  
Count Duckula's embarrassed look betrayed him. "AH ... I could have imagined it! Mylord, this thoughtless deed is without words! Such stupidity ... such action!"  
He didn't get any further with his curtain sermon. Because Vladimir intervened. "Igor calm down ... yes I know it was ... rash."  
"It was more than the young gentleman! He almost cost her life!"  
"But it didn't Igor. Instead ... he really showed courage and came back to save me!" interjected Vladimir.  
"Courage ... Mylord showed courage?" Igor considered. "well I admit that is unusual for my lord ..."  
"What ?! do you mean to say that I'm a coward otherwise?" Count Duckula crossed his arms and looked at Igor in punishment. But this was anything but impressed.  
"Something like my lord. Nanny ... Mylord was very naughty today."  
"He was?"  
"Yes, he was! He put himself and Vladimir in mortal danger."  
"Oh!"  
"Yes, and that's why he goes to bed tonight without dinner! I ask that you take care of it ... understood ?!"  
"Understood ... but it's still not evening Mister Igor."  
"No, not yet Nanny. Not yet."  
"She forgot until tonight." Vladimir whispered to the count.  
"But not you Igor." the answer came back just as quietly.  
No sooner had his words been spoken than the doorbell rang. Fortunately, it was the count who stood next to the door, so he opened it.  
Antanasia stood in front of him. She looked at him worried and relieved at the same time. "Are you okay? Nothing happened to you either?"  
He didn't get an answer, or rather the language stayed away because it fell right around his neck. "I was so scared that something would happen to you! I came as soon as possible! But I was afraid that I would be late ..."  
Count Duckula was overwhelmed. "I wasn't afraid ... I'm too brave for that."  
At the words Vladimir started coughing and his eyes fell on Igor. Whose look said everything, but also bit every comment.  
Vladimir did not want to spoil this loving triumph of his brother, he was happy about it - even if his brother gave a "little bit". Or uttered a big lie.  
Well, after all, he had had the courage to come back to help him. Despite mortal danger.  
"The bravest one is who overcomes his fear." he whispered to Igor.

Vladimir stood in the background, in shadow, and yet he also caught Antanasia's attention. She broke away and walked cautiously towards Vladimir.  
"What is mine to you?" Vladimir felt her insecurity towards him physically.  
"Everything's fine. I've survived quite a bit."  
Shaking, she reached for a hand and touched the scar on his injured eye. "You didn't always have that, you weren't born that way."  
"No. It's a badly healed wound."  
"There is such a grim expression ..." she pulled her hand away. But her eyes looked confused. Completely irritated. "Who are you?"  
"He is my younger brother." Answered Count Duckula, who had come to her. "In my last life I was his father. But I don't remember that."  
She nodded. Still confused. "He sucks blood."  
"Yes, but he's harmless. Do you see Antanasia ... I wouldn't have thought I would say this until a year ago ... but he really is. Dear vampire."  
Vladimir bowed slightly. "I try to do as little damage as possible with my diet."  
Antanasia joined the counts but still saw Vladimir. Frowning. "Is it you who always roars so terribly? I heard you earlier."  
"Jaaaa" Vladimir's voice was a bit embarrassed. "I want to apologize for scaring you and your people. But ... look at it. I'm announcing that ... this area here ..." he considered his words carefully. "... the territory of a single vampire family is that of Duckula. No other has anything to look for here! And as long as this is respected - you are not in danger."  
"I have never seen it like this." Admitted Count Duckula.  
Igor, who hadn't seen it that way yet, groaned again. What a twist on Tuesday's horror cry!  
"It always depends on the point of view." Vladimir smiled at his words.  
Antanasia turned back to the counts. "Please never come down to the village again."  
Count Duckula froze, but then she went on and explained her words. "I don't want you to put yourself in danger. I will come up to you no matter what everyone else says. I come - understood?"  
He looked into her eyes, knelt before her, and took her hand to kiss.  
Emma was totally ecstatic.  
"Do you believe in fate? That even the forces of time can be changed for a single purpose? ... The happiest man who walks on this earth .. is the one who finds ... TRUE love." Vladimir whispered at the sight.  
"Um! Where did you get this nonsense from?" moaned Igor.  
Vladimir crossed his arms. "Quote from Bram Stoker's" Dracula "." he glanced at Igor.  
"I'm assuming that you too sprang from such a relationship."  
When she finally left and closed the door behind her, Count Duckula leaned against it and slumped dreamily.  
"She loves me ... she loves me ..."  
Igor cleared his throat loudly. "May I remind you again that your stand is not worthy of a count ?!"  
But his opinion was simply ignored.  
"YOU dragged her Igor - even if you thought of it as a meal. But now she's eating the count."

As Count Duckula had said in advance. What the fact that he should go to bed without dinner long ago erased from Nanny's memory. Which was no wonder, her memory didn't go very far anyway and after all she was a master of misunderstanding and forgetting.  
So she served her duck plaster for dinner, and he was already chewing hard.  
Until Igor came in and pulled the food away from under his nose with an angry look. "Igor! What's this about ?!"  
The butler took care of his master's contradiction, but turned to Nanny. "Nanny! Forgot what our master did today?"  
"Uh ... yes?" this mental effort was really a bit demanding.  
"Today he put himself and our young master in mortal danger!"  
"He has?"  
"Did he! And what did I say to you?"  
"You said that he put himself and Flea in mortal danger." Emma noticed.  
"No Nanny. What did I say this morning?"  
"This morning?"  
"Yes ... think."  
"Think?"  
Igor groaned. "How can I ask so much of you Nanny? I'll repeat it again. I said my lord is going to bed without dinner today."  
Nanny considered. "Oh yes?!" undecided whether it was a question or a statement.  
"Yes! And what am I asking for is this here?" Igor held the count's dinner under her beak.  
"Eat." she correctly stated.  
"Right Nanny. But ... should he get it?"  
"No."  
"Right Nanny."  
Count Duckula had stood with his fists protested on his hips. "Wait a minute! You can't just refuse my food! I ..."  
"You lord have put the last of the Duckulas in mortal danger! Because of a stupidity, driven by blind love frenzy! Nanny now bring our masters to bed!" The big hen wanted to get hold of it, but the counts did.  
He walked past his staff, head held high. "THIS is not necessary! I can do it alone!"

A little later there was a knock on his door. Vladimir entered. "I brought you something Fridolin."  
What he was holding in his hands was ... "A broccoli sandwich!"  
Vladimir nodded. "Igor didn't notice anything. And Nanny didn't mind because she was worried that you ate so little."  
He handed it over to the count. The boy jumped out of bed and happily accepted the little present.  
Although ... as soon as he had eaten it, he felt a dull feeling. "Because of me, you were almost killed ..."  
"That's right. But ... because of me, you also showed courage and came back. I count that on you, Fridolin."  
The count went to the window and looked out towards the village, Vladimir followed him.  
Count Duckula sighed deeply. "She loves me ... she really loves me!"  
"Yes! And you know what, you didn't even have to pretend for it. You don't have to be particularly rich for that, you don't have to win any prizes, you don't have to drive a car.  
You were just yourself! If you have to pretend, it's not true love. Only when the other person takes you as you are, when you are simply loved for your own sake, is it real. "  
Count Duckula considered. "Wow! Where did you get so much wisdom from when you were young? I mean you have never been in love, have you?"  
"No, I'm just too young for my 170 years." Vladimir considered. "I have this wisdom from my foster parents. They said this to their children when their time came." He put an arm around his brother's shoulder. "You have so many endearing qualities. She just recognized it."  
"Vladimir ... you are a real friend."  
"I'm a duckula. We are a family and they have to stick together."

  
The next day.  
Igor was sitting in the kitchen with Nanny and again complained about his suffering with the Duckula offspring. "You are in the dining room and are dancing again ..."  
"Yeah," replied enthusiastically. "they have such nice music on! plaster and flea."  
A remark that made Igor sob ...

  
"So Vladimir, it is clear which of us now has to take on the female role. After all, I don't want to embarrass myself in Antanasia."  
Vladimir just grinned and curtsied.  
"Your application flatters me with Count Duckula." he said in a disguised female voice.  
"Vladimir ..."  
This took his hands. "Your eyes ... Count Duckula ... enchant a lady like me ..."  
"Vladimir ... are you kidding me?"  
"But not Count Duckula, how do you come up with something like that?" Vladimir let go of him, leaned against him, and looked at him with a glance.  
"I'm just waiting eagerly for you to ask me to dance."  
Sighing, Count Duckula reached for his hands.  
"And I have the feeling that you're kidding me ..."


	3. The rebirth thing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vladimir talks to Count Duckula about the secret of rebirth and karma that affects all life.

A few months later…

There was a lot of hustle and bustle down in the village, folk festival atmosphere. Which was justified, because that's exactly what was planned. A big festival. The whole population was invited. The whole?  
Not really. There was a family that was not invited, and that was a young noble who lived high up in Ducklua Castle.

The young man in this house looked down longingly and sighed deeply. Vladimir joined him.  
"Antanasia will be there." Duckula sighed again.  
"Certainly." Vladimir confirmed the thought.  
"I learned to dance ... with you. I could join in ... I want to join in! Dance with Antanasia ... down there ... between all the others."  
Vladimir looked at his brother. "Forget brother heart. They won't tolerate you."  
Count Duckula considered. "Not me ... but when I dress up ... I mean ... I've done that many times."  
"Seriously?"  
"Yes, a hat, a beard, a coat. And they don't notice anything!"  
Vladimir took a deep breath. "Well, I do not know…"  
Count Duckula was already spinning around and looking for the right clothes, in no time at all, Count Duckula stood in front of him in full disguised outfit. Vladimir looked at him doubtfully. "Well, I do not know…"  
But before he could say more, Count Duckula was gone. Vladimir decided to say this to Igor and Nanny.  
Igor met him very quickly and asked him where the gentleman was.  
"I can tell you Igor, and it's good that I meet you ... he just disappeared into the village in disguise."  
"I think I am right in assuming that it is not with the will to frighten the population."  
"You're assuming right." Confirmed Vladimir. "He wants to go dancing."  
"Oh how beautiful ... he practiced so much with you!" exult Nanny. Vladimir and Igor just looked at each other ...

In fact, Count Duckula mingled with the crowd, his eyes looking for Antanasia. He saw her sitting gloomily on a bench while she followed the happy goings-on of other villagers. The music played and everyone looked for a dance partner.  
Count Duckula went up to her and stopped in front of her. "May I ask the young lady to dance?" he asked politely and bowed to her.  
But she only looked at him briefly and sighed. Count Duckula pulled the beard away briefly and winked at her.  
"What…?" she looked at him stunned, then looked around shyly that no one recognized him either. "... but I told you ..."  
"May I ask her to dance?" the count only repeated the question without going into further detail. He named her hand and led her to the dance circle to mingle with the others.  
Then the music started and the dancers started to move. It was noted that Count Duckula had practiced with Vladimir for a long time, because he mastered the dance steps pervectly.  
Antanasia was like floating in seventh heaven, the counts felt the same way.  
Then they had to move the dance partners away from dance, which went well. Duckula's new dance partner didn't notice who she was dancing with. However, her dance partner, an older goose, stepped on the count's coat. So that it lost its balance and fell lengthways.  
"Oh excuse my good tester ..."  
Count Duckula got up somewhat annoyed. "Let it be ..."  
Only now he stood there without a coat. The next moment he heard a scream. "Count Duckula! The vampire! The vampire is among us ..."  
Count Duckula backed away. "Excuse me ... it was ... it was ... ..AHHHHHHHHHH!" he ran through the crowd as fast as he could. The pack after them.  
At the last moment it occurred to him that he could disappear otherwise. With a flash he disappeared ...

... and appeared panting in the castle. Vladimir and Igor looked at him. Before they could notice anything, the count waved them off and disappeared into his room.  
Vladimir watched for a moment, but then decided to follow him.  
He knocked cautiously on his door. "Fridolin, can I come in?"  
He heard a deep sad sigh. "Igor or Nanny are not there?" the voice was high and pitiful.  
"No, I'm alone."  
"Okay, come on Vladimir."  
When Vladimir opened the door, Count Duckula saw sitting on the bed, bent and sad. Thick tears ran down his beak.  
Without a word, Vladimir sat down next to him.  
"You hate me so much!" Whispered the count. "I never did anything to them! ... I'm always friendly to them! ... but they hate me! Why only! "The voice sounded desperate.  
Vladimir sighed. "You know why." he whispered softly.  
"YES because of my ancestors! But I'm a DIFFERENT now, but they don't give me a chance! It's just not fair!" the count's voice became shrill.  
Vladimir put a hand on his shoulder. At first said nothing about it.  
"I ... I mean ..." the count sobbed. "... I know that I was my ancestor ... but ... but ..." he shook himself. Cried.  
Vladimir had deepest sympathy. "You know," he finally said softly. "That is the fate of many vampires, the past haunts them. You know… Nick, who I was with for a short time, was similar to you."  
"Have you followed him because of his past?"  
"No. But since he never died and was resuscitated in between, he still knew about everything he did. He could remember everything. And that haunted him."  
Count Duckula sighed painfully and deeply. "It must be terrible! To remember everything."  
Vladimir nodded. "He was often really depressed. But you know Fridolin, mortals actually have the same problem - only they no longer know."  
Count Duckula looked questioningly at Vladimir before he spoke further.  
"They too are born again, they too had previous lives. Just like you! With one difference. They are not always the same person as you have been Count Duckula for centuries. They are sometimes man, sometimes woman, sometimes rich, sometimes Poor, sometimes innocent ... and sometimes a cruel offender. "  
"for real?" the count wiped his beak.  
"Yes."

  
Shortly thereafter, standing on the grand staircase, he watched how his brother received his girlfriend. Which took him in her arms. Vladimir smiled at the sight. "That's wonderful! Our Duckyboos is growing up ... it's so touching!"  
Vladimir smiled. "Yes, Nanny, it really is." He thought for a moment, then went away to get his violin.  
"Hey both lovebirds!" he called down. "I play you up for dance!" So he put on the violin and started to play the melodies, which they also played in the village below.  
So Count Duckula and his girlfriend could at least dance alone in the large entrance hall.

That night Vladimir closes very restlessly, throwing himself from corner to corner. In dreams he saw himself, but he was not himself. Not with his current looks. He was wearing simple clothes, in a 15th century person. Suddenly another person was standing in front of him. A vampire duck reared up in front of him and attacked him. Bite into him and sucked out his blood until he sank dead to the ground.  
Vladimir woke up panting ... was it really what he felt? was it the truth?

The next day he walked down the ancestral gallery and looked at each and every portee until he stopped in front of one. He was the face he had seen in dreams. Since Igor came over, he spoke to him. "Igor ... who is that?"  
"Oh, how beautiful that you are interested in your ancestors. That was your great-great-grandfather. A magnificent guy ..."  
Vladimir no longer listened to what was said. Instead, he had his own thoughts. If THAT was supposed to be ... did it make sense? OH YES, there was!  
"Hey Vladimir! I was looking for you everywhere ... why are you here and look at these ugly pictures." The cheerful voice of his brother, Vladimir tore from his thoughts.  
Vladimir turned to face him and looked at him thoughtfully for a moment.  
"Tell me, Vladimir, what have you got?" the count finally said. "Look I found a ball! and I thought we could play basketball with it?"  
Vladimir's eyes brightened. "Sure! Good idea!"  
To Igor's annoyance, the two Duckula's chose one of the many almost empty rooms to play basketball undisturbed (with a broken raffia basket as a basket).

Vladimir never decided to tell his brother about his knowledge. Of which he, Count Duckula himself, once Vladimir (had killed in a previous life). He has been one of his many victims. This would only burden him even more. But the much more important lesson for Vladimir was that it was never a way to think of hate or revenge. He had chosen another way. He was born into exactly this family, because only in this way could he gain insight and influence in it. He was just in time when the vampire was born. The then Count Duckula had died to become another. One that Vladimir could help! And Vladimir had to go his way to find his real destiny ...  
What a brilliant plan the divine way had found here!


	4. Love is a difficult path ... for a vampire

Vladimir loved the love between Antanasia and his brother the count, but he was also worried. While Count Duckula went to the theater with her, Vladimir stayed at home and sat thoughtfully at the table. Igor noticed Vladimir's mood. He sat down with him. Vladimir only looked at him briefly, but then looked straight ahead. "Where are your thoughts going?" he asked Vladimir, in the educator's voice when the butler saw himself.  
"My brother ..." Vladimir sigh. "... I don't know if he is even aware of what he's getting into."  
"Antanasia?" asked Igor. Vladimir nodded. "Then are you against this relationship too?" Igor was delighted and confused at the same time.  
"Then you see that she's not the right man for you?"  
Vladimir sighed. "I didn't say that. She is the right one for my brother. She loves him as he is, she is a vegetarian. She is already the right one for him. And I am happy for him. But he also knows what it means loving a mortal? he's a vampire he's immortal. " He looked at Igor. "I lived among mortals, I experienced what it is like when they get older and die. Whether he is aware that he will experience how she gets older and eventually dies. And he is still young? Some of you Vampire broke something like this ... this pain ... he will experience it too. "  
Igor raised an eyebrow. "That's why her father had made her mother his like. A vampire."  
Vladimir nodded. "I know that was the reason. In general, a vampire turns his partner into a vampire - or he looks for one in the same."  
"It would have been better if the Count had looked for someone among his peers."  
"A vampire? Igor what is that? Where's the female vegetarian vampire duck?"  
"Who is talking about sharing this naughtiness?"Vladimir sighed loudly. "Igor please! What is that? It would never fit! Besides, I thought it would happen in general. But there are also vampires who prefer to experience the pain of separation than do their partner the life of a vampire."  
Igor shook himself. "Where did you get that young gentleman from?"  
Vladimir wiped his face. "It was clear that you wouldn't understand Igor! Either way ... the fact is that he could never make her a vampire even if he wanted to."  
"He just has to drink from her blood, and she from his. That's all!" threw in Igor. "He should be able to do that. And if not ... you could do it young sir."  
Vladimir got up and went to the window. "No! I told you that I would never turn anyone into a vampire. And I wouldn't do this to either Fridolin or her ... don't count on me Igor!" He looked out of the window. "He'll have to go through the pain of separation ... I'm just wondering if I should prepare him for it? So that it won't hit him so unprepared? The pain ... he could break his heart."  
He leaned on the windowsill and looked at the vast forest, this incredible beauty of nature below,  
"Love and the existence of a vampire, it doesn't go together young Mr. Vladimir." Igor noticed behind him.  
"Don't say that to Igor. Think of Uncle Vlad and Aunt Lucrezia. Besides, I want to be the child of a past love."  
Vladimir sighed. "Igor what am I supposed to do? I don't want to spoil his joy. I want him to be able to fully enjoy it! And yet ... I think I should tell him about it ..." he looked at the setting sun on the horizon. "... maybe I should just wait and see? When I feel it's time to talk about it, I'll feel it."  
"Forgive me young sir, you are far too sentimental for a duckula! This feeling-mess is unbearable for me!" groaned Igor.  
"Igor ... you are an old vulture, a very old vulture that has got stuck at some point. And not only that ..." he turned and tapped Igor on the chest.  
"Are you sure there is still a heart in there?"  
Igor cleared his throat. "Well, it is just such a feeling shower that the heart is the home of a soul."  
Vladimir crossed his arms. "Should this mean that you have a heart but no soul? Anyway ... my brother and I have a soul."  
"Another mistake, young gentleman. No vampire has a soul."  
"But you know us badly ... I mean one or the other soul likes, more or less spoiled and bad. But we have one."  
Igor shook his head and turned away. "As I noted earlier, they have been completely spoiled. Such thoughts do not grace a duckula. Your father ... if he had a soul at all. Had a black, dark soul. Spoiled and cruel."  
Vladimir tried to remember. But all of his memories were very vague. "Whatever he was then, I think my brother's true soul came out again. That of the original Count Duckulas. Fridolin told me about him ... also about how he became a vampire. Through the betrayal of a certain servant Called Igorth. " with these words he looked at Igor sharply.  
Igor cleared his throat. "Anyway ... for centuries the Duckulas have graced the path of evil."  
"Igor ... you really have a strange idea of" ornament "." He strode past Igor, went down the stairs to the great hall and opened the door.  
He really wanted to do this before Nanny did.  
The count stood in front of him with a blissful smile on his beak. He looked at Vladimir and yet through him, all that was right, Vladimir thought that he really looked very elegant in his tuxedo, with zilinder and stick. "Oh Vladimir ..." the count whispered as he walked past Vladimir. "It was so beautiful ... love is something ..." he looked at Vladimir, tapped his beak, but misinterpreted his slightly worried expression.  
"What face are you doing Vladimir? When you get older you will understand what I mean ..."  
When Igor appeared, Count Duckula handed him the stick and cylinder.  
Vladimir smiled. "It's good brother heart. I'm happy for you ... it's just ..." shuddered. "Oh forget Fridolin."  
Count Duckula walked past him in a good mood. Also to Nanny who had just come down the stairs. Count Duckula greeted them cheerfully, maybe this hadn't been the best idea. Because immediately she picked him up and hugged her Duckyboos. "Oh my dear little Duckyboos ... he is so happy!"  
Count Duckula tried desperately to free himself from the clutch. He tried to brace himself, drummed his fists on her. But nothing helped. "Emma, let go of my brother!" but the giant chicken didn't listen to Vladimir.  
Vladimir looked over at Igor. But this didn't seem to do anything, he just grinned over the whole beak. "IGOR" Vladimir hissed at him.  
The butler cleared his throat. "Nanny was reading Mylord!" Nanny listened to Igor, dropping the count.  
He lay panting on the floor, his hair disheveled and his ordinary clothes crushed. "I ... I ..." he growled as he gasped.  
He shook his head. "Oh what I'm in a good mood to get excited about!" with that he got up and strolled up the stairs.  
Igor looked after him. "You know young gentleman," remarked Vladimir. "I thought about what they said to me. And they gave me hope."  
"Hope?" "Oh yes ... if it is as they said. Then there is a chance that he will still confess to evil. Maybe he will do it alone. I just have to let time do its job." Stunned, Vladimir looked at Igor. "She is mortal - he is not. Time will take care of it ..."  
"Igor! I can't believe what you're saying!" Shaking his head, Vladimir followed his brother into his room.

  
Count Duckula lay on his back on his bed, staring blissfully at the ceiling. Even when he heard Vladimir enter, he didn't move.  
"I think it was a wonderful evening."  
"Oh yes ... love is such a wonderful thing!" Count Duckula sighed. "I wish you one day, Vladimir."  
"Who knows?" Vladimir sat down with him. Count Duckula sat up and looked at him. "Honestly Vladimir ... it's so exhilarating ... it makes you so happy! It's these" butterflies in your stomach ", I feel like I could hug the whole world!" He got up and danced in circles, spun on a fin, doing a pirouette. Amused, Vladimir watched his brother. As if in a dance, Count Duckula took off his tuxedo and threw it at Vladimir, who cleverly caught it.  
"Will she move into our castle someday?" considered Duckula.  
"It won't be your decision alone."  
"Why not?"  
"Because she lives downstairs in the village and her parents probably want to have a word there too."  
"She is an adult woman. Like your mother was. And I was a bloodsucker at the time!"  
"Only my mother came from Hungary and she had left her family, who lives far away from the castle. Antanasia, however, lives down there. You know where to look for your daughter!"  
Count Duckula groaned. "Do you want to spoil my joy Vladimir?"  
"Certainly not ... just I would like to point out that there is a possibility that it will remain with a loving friendship and will not come out of it."  
"You were only born because more was made of it". Count Duckula warned Vladimir as he took off his shirt.  
"That's right. In theory it would be possible to become a father again ..."  
Count Duckula stopped moving, he was visibly embarrassed.  
"... but you can't have a real marriage."  
"Why not?"  
"Because then she would have to become like you."  
Count Duckula sighed in satisfaction. "Oh Vladimir, that's all cleared up! She's also a vegetarian!"  
Vladimir had to smile at the statement. "Certainly ... that's your way of life. But that's not your real thing. You can do it like this, a sheep is also a vegetarian - but still it is and remains a sheep."  
Count Duckula considered, took off his shirt and sat on the bed with Vladimir. "She is a duck and I am also a duck."  
Vladimir nodded. "That's right again. But you're a vampire duck. It's not the same thing."  
The count wrinkled his beak. "Vladimir! Didn't know you were so racist!"  
"I am not ... that just means that you are immortal - and she ...?"  
Count Duckula turned pale (which you didn't see because of the green feathers). "… Not."  
Vladimir sighed and put a hand on the count's shoulder. "Father made my mother a vampire at the time to solve this problem. I would advise you to enjoy the time as intensely as possible. But to leave it in this loving relationship - every thought to make it go further . It would only cause you pain. "  
"No marriage?" breathed the count.  
"No marriage, right."  
"Unless ..." Count Duckula thought aloud. "... she would become a vampire." He shook himself. "No! NO! I don't want that!"  
Count Duckula sighed deeply. He felt a cheeky push from Vladimir. "Hey come on! That doesn't mean that you can't fool yourself! Come on tell me how the evening was! How was it ?!"  
This time Count Duckula sighed dreamily. "It was so beautiful ... sat next to each other ... and I held her hand ... she looked at me again and again ... with her wonderful eyes ... and she smiled! She was so happy!"  
Then he started to tell Vladimir everything. the sound of her voice when she spoke to him, the gentle kiss she had given him - and he her.  
As she later told about her family. Your parents and siblings. Even if it was obvious that she was struggling to talk about how her parents stood by him.  
Count Duckula dropped back onto the bed and sighed deeply again.  
"Oh Vladimir ... I hope you get to know such a woman."  
Vladimir shrugged. "Who knows? But then she also has to get along with you."  
"Do you mean this?" "Well, in my case it could be a vampire. But if she doesn't get along with a vegetarian ... then she can go right away!" Count Duckula blinked, about to respond when he heard something. The same as Vladimir.  
"Nanny ... the door!" He shouts. Immediately afterwards the door cracked and lay on the floor. Nanny stood on top of her. Count Duckula sighed. "After all, it's not always the same on the wall…""I just wanted to bring you your cocoa cake and choccy bickies."   
the shortbread biscuits. Do you want Mister Igor to tell you a good night story ?!"  
"Thank you Nanny. But Igor doesn't need to read me a good story, I already had one today."  
"Oh ... yes then." Her eyes fell on the bare count. "And please put on your nightgown. Walking around undressed did Vladimir teach you that with his bad manners?"  
Vladimir took a deep breath. "Nanny, as if you couldn't bear to see an undressed drake. Feathers Nanny, there's nothing but feathers!"  
"Give it up to Vladimir ... she doesn't understand." Count Duckula took his shirt and put it on.  
"So it is good Duckyboos," Nanny praised him. "and you Vladimir be careful what you say!"  
Vladimir groaned. "Yes Nanny, Nanny is clear."  
"Besides, it's getting time for you to sleep. You are still a child and need sleep ... you still want to grow tall and strong!"  
"Do you mean as tall and strong as the count?" Vladimir grinned. It was only slightly smaller than this.  
"What is this remark Vladimir?" "Nothing brother heart ... nothing ..." Vladimir got up from the bed and said goodbye to his brother.  
"Well then ... sleep well and dream something sweet."

  
Before going to rest, however, Vladimir looked in a book about first names and their meaning for the name "Antanasia". He found an entry about it. Let this go through and considered. He noticed that Igor was joining them and looked at him.  
"This is strange." "What is Strange Young Lord?" "My brother's friend looked so strange, so confused at the time, and she said I didn't always look like that ... how should she know, Igor?" "I don't know sir." "Your name Igor ... do you know what that means?" Igor said no.  
"Antanasia means" the born again "." Igor frowned. "Don't you think so?" "Nothing, I mean Igor. It would only explain some things ... I mean if the case is. Would it be a possibility that she is my mother, the reborn Aneska Fehér. Who has fallen in love with the count again."  
Igor shook his head. "This is impossible ... complete nonsense!"  
Vladimir put his hands on his hips. "Said an 800 year old butler who does black magic ... So really Igor!"  
Igor couldn't contradict him, but ... "Why should a woman who came from a good home be born in a simple farming family now?"  
Throw in Igor. "For me, the question is why she fell in love with my father back then. Where was he still a bloodsucker at that time?"  
Vladimir sighed. "I think the status of a family is not particularly important for the will of rebirth. What is more important is what you want to achieve."  
Igor's eyes were now even more confused. "I can't follow your thoughts sir."  
Vladimir smiled and put the book away. "Is not important Igor. I think it is very important that I go to rest now. Otherwise Emma comes up with the idea of carrying me to bed."

But the thought never let go of Vladimir. What if Antanasia was really Aneska Fehér? After all, was he sure himself that he had been killed by Counts Duckula at that time?  
Everything just fit together! If he had come back to help the new count before all of his soul, why not his mother too?  
Vladimir decided to deal with such issues more.

Count Duckula slept in his bed with a soulful smile. "Antanasia ...." he whispered. I dream he gave her a kiss, in reality it was his pillow.  
"Antanasia ... my sweetheart ..." He snuggled himself into bed even more.

  
Antanasie looted over her secret diary, which she hid from her parents under a loose floorboard under her bed. Now that everything was asleep, she wrote in her last lines for that day.

_Dear Diary,_   
_today I was in theater with the counts. He invited me. It's just wonderful to spend time with him. He looked so elegant! it is just sad that nobody in the village wants to listen to him. He is so lovely and cute! when he's excited he's pretty clumsy, but that only makes it sweeter in my eyes. People are still afraid that one day he will bite me. But he doesn't even have teeth! What should he do with it?_   
_My heart beats faster when I think of him ... and when I'm with him I feel like I'm walking on clouds ..._   
_I admit it, I love him!_   
_It is true that people have always disappeared in the village, but I believe my sweetheart when he thinks everything was Igor. The butler is scary to me ... and I think I remember that he also knocked me down. It's strange ... if Igor hadn't done this, I probably would never have met the dear count, I have to laugh when I think that I should be grateful to the butler soon._   
_But I don't trust Igor._

_Vladimir, the brother of earls, his son from past lives as he explained to me, is also strange. Surely he has canines and is a bloodsucker. But somehow ... when I look at him like that, I feel sad as if I had lost something a long time ago. I have the feeling that I know him, but from where? Inwardly I see him again and again much smaller in front of me than a little chick. Then my heart warms for a moment. And then I get very sad again._

_It is strange with this family, whose castle lifts so high above our village._   
_Dear diary, I love this count every day more! And by God, I wish people would understand me ..._


	5. If one admirer becomes two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Antanasia receives a letter from an old childhood friend. Dorin has always adored her. Now he sees the time has come for more to come ...

"Anta ... Anta ... wake up ..." Antanasia blinked. It was early in the morning, very early, but it was normal for their families to get up with the first rays of the sun, after all they had to run a small farm.  
The young duck looked wearily into her mother's eyes. "Mummy…"  
"Get on darling." her mother became more energetic "In the evening you hang out with these counts and in the morning you don't get out of bed!"  
"He's not that count!" she imitated her mother's somewhat derogatory emphasis. "He is a lovely drake."  
"He is a vampire! For generations, the Duckula's have been a nuisance to this place!"  
Antanasia groaned and already wanted to pull the pillow over her head so as not to hear the words, but since she knew that it was not well received by her parents, she preferred not to. Instead, she straightened up. She looked into her mother's worried face.  
"Antanasia darling, one day he'll bite you! And then you'll be a vampire too." she crossed herself. Antanasia watched her tired.  
"He doesn't even have teeth! How can he make me a vampire?"  
"But his brother has teeth! Everyone saw it! You heard how he hissed!"  
Antanasia took off her nightgown and put on her work clothes. "Vladimir ... if he were as dangerous as you think he would have attacked the village long ago! And what is it? You haven't even noticed that it exists! If I hadn't told you, you would still have known nothing from him! "  
she sighed, having regretted mentioning Vladimir for a long time.  
"Mom," she grabbed her mother's shoulders. "Vladimir only hunts rodents."  
"Claims the count."  
Antanasia wondered if she should say anything else, but left it at that, it made no sense. Without a word, she stomped out and went to work in the stable.  
When she stepped outside the door, she looked up at the castle and sighed.  
He would surely still be sleeping ...  
How nice it would be to live up there as a countess one day. But she wasn't stupid, she knew this would never happen. Between a mortal like her and an undead there was just too much that could not be avoided. A thought that made her sigh…

  
In the castle upstairs the count was actually still asleep. Downstairs in the kitchen, Emma was busy preparing breakfast for her little Duckyboos. Igor sat at the table and ate his meal by tearing off the last pieces of meat from a large ham and chewing it like a vulture.  
Vladimir stood by and watched him thoughtfully.  
"Igor maybe we should go to Tibet?"  
Igor shivered and swallowed the last bit of meat from the bones, and placed the bones neatly on the table. He had to bring Wulfie before him, the werewolf would surely be happy about it. However ... Vladimir's comment did not please Igor at all. "Forgive me young sir, but we have already been to Tibet with the counts."  
"Oh really? I just meant we could do it for you."  
Igor frowned, the young gentleman wanted to annoy her. Vladimir knew exactly what Igor's expression meant.  
"No, no Igor," Vladimir said, raising his hands. "I'm serious. Do you know how to bury people in Tibet?" Vladimir didn't wait for the butler's answer and just kept talking. "Well, you have a slightly different idea than in our area. In Tibet you think that once you have removed the body, you no longer need it anyway. Instead of just burying it, you want to serve the soulless body in a different way. So you put him on a high mountain and put him down there to feed the cycle of being. Simply put, you give them to the vultures for food. "  
Igor listened with interest, a broad smile over his beak. "What a laudable view!"  
Vladimir considered. "Anyway, it would save us a lot of trouble, because you could indulge your desires without doing your terror here."  
With these words Vladimir reached for the tray on which his brother's food stood.  
Emma started protesting loudly. "Vladimir! Keep your hands off it! I don't think you eat that!"  
"Wow Emma! You actually thought?"  
Emma looked at him in confusion. "You don't eat something like that! I know that!"  
"All right Emma. I didn't want to eat it either. I just wanted to bring it up to a sleepy brother." He took the tray with him.  
"It is not their job young gentlemen, they do not belong to servants, but to government."  
Vladimir was almost out the door when he turned back to him. "I know that Igor. But when I go to my brother's room, I don't make it so resilient. It protects our lean wallet." he turned to Emma. "Emma, you can do other jobs for your duck cleaning, do laundry or something ... I think there is enough to do."  
"Oh yeah!" Emma was delighted. "You two little filthy finches, have made your laundry so dirty lately."  
Igor looked after Vladimir when he was gone.  
"Emma, Vladimir's idea was excellent! I just don't know yet how we my lord should make such a trip" tasty "? I mean, you can hardly explain that I want to go there to dine ..."

  
"Good morning sleepyhead!" Vladimir greeted his brother at bed. The latter was still lolling when Vladimir put breakfast to his bed.  
"Isn't that our servants' job?" he asked, yawning.  
"I figured I would make it less resilient than Emma." Vladimir went to the curtain and pulled it aside. "I hope you had a good night's sleep."  
"Couldn't be better ..." Count Duckula set about eating. Even if Emma's meals weren't the best, he had little else to do than make his stomach digest them. Only sometimes did he have the opportunity to avoid it.  
"I wish," he said between the bites. "Emma could at least cook as well as some of the farmers down there. I really wonder why I ever hired her?"  
Vladimir looked down thoughtfully. "I think Igor could answer this question for you ..."  
He heard the count jump out of bed behind him, take off his nightgown and change. He stood next to Vladimir and also looked down.  
"Do you also notice that this spring is particularly special today? The wind wind has a special smell ..."  
A light breeze penetrated the broken window.  
Vladimir sniffed. It smelled of forest, the air was fresh and you could hear the forest animals and villagers indulging in life.  
But Vladimir couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Well, his brother was in a different shape than he was.  
"Spring feelings." noticed Vladimir. "you have spring feelings."  
Count Duckula grinned broadly. "Oh yeah ... I feel it in every feather, it fills my heart."  
Vladimir bit a remark that was on his beak, he didn't want to embarrass his brother.

  
Antanasia and her mother prepared fresh bread. When the dough was ready, they were pushed into the oven, and a pleasant smell was released.  
Antanasia would have loved to bring her count one of the fresh bread upstairs to the castle, he would be happy about it. If you broke the fresh, still steaming bread and coated it with fresh butter, it tasted particularly good. What joy it would be for the count!  
Antanasia sigh. The day had just started and there was still so much to do. Afterwards she had to go to the fields with the others to weed the weeds.  
She had only been on the field for half an hour when her little brother came running. He waved a letter in his hands.  
He arrived at her with a grin. "The post has just come, I thought I would bring it to you right away!"  
Antanasia wiped the sweat from her forehead and accepted the letter from her brother. Who should you write? except…  
Dorin! Apparently this was the case because now she was holding a letter from him. They had been together since childhood, went to school together. When he was studying in Cluj he hadn't contacted her anymore, she already thought that he had completely forgotten about her.  
She opened it and let the letter through. He hadn't forgotten her! on the contrary!  
In this letter he confessed his love for him and that he regretted not having reported to her for so long.  
Dorin ... Antanasia lowered her hand, if she hadn't been a duck, you could have seen her pale.  
"Bad news?" asked her brother.  
Antanasia shook her head. "No ... not really. Dorin wants to come to visit and stop for my hand." she whispered.  
"Wowww ..." her brother grinned even wider at her. "then you will finally become a woman!"  
"I'm already a woman!" protest Antanasia.  
"Okay okay ... but then you will probably move to Cluj."  
"I still don't know if I want to accept his offer at all! He's still studying and he doesn't have to try for that long."  
She took a deep breath and looked up at the castle again. "Nothing has been said at all ... nothing!" angrily she stamped her fin.  
Yes, of course, Dorin in her had always got on well and somehow loved each other, maybe it was just a child's rapture. But now? She didn't want Dorin and Fridolin to compete. She just wanted ... what did she want?  
Just disappearing at the moment ... she wanted to be left alone to think about what to do.  
"Mom and Dad will be thrilled!" her brother laughed. "I'm going to run over and tell you ..." he ran away.  
"Yes, you will be amazed ..." Antanasia's voice sounded happy and toneless.

When she went into the house exhausted after her work, they greeted her parents joyfully. "It's wonderful that Dorin wants to ask for your hand! So he hasn't forgotten you! He is such a loyal man!"  
"It's wonderful that you are already sure - it's not me! After all, it's my decision!"  
Somehow the appetite had passed, even if the food smelled delicious. Only it was as if something was closing her throat. She sighed loudly and smiled torturedly at her parents. "Please let me decide for myself. He is in the middle of my studies and cannot offer me any security now. I didn't want to start my marriage in a student dorm. At least give me so many years." she said in a much friendlier tone.  
"It's not because of the count, is it? Honey ... he's a vampire!"  
"You don't have to tell me that." Antanasia moved the chair away so that she could sit down at the table. She looked listlessly at her meal. Even if she said her thoughts, they wouldn't understand.  
Finally she almost made a decision. "I'll go up and talk to him tonight."  
Her parents dropped their cutlery in terror. "In the evening! But the vampires are alive!"  
"He sleeps at night, just like we do. And it would be ridiculous to want to have a talk if he is sleeping."  
Her brother giggled at the performance.  
"I just want to do my job for today, so I won't go up to him until tonight." she considered. "And besides, I have to think about what to say to him ..." she added in a low whisper.

"EMMMMA!" Count Duckula was stunned. He just wanted to bite into it with joy over the cake that was on offer, now his beak hurts.  
The nanny went through a hole in the wall that she tore down weeks ago. They had given up on closing all the holes again and again, because it made more sense to simply leave some (which are used mostly) in the hope that the gigantic chicken would use them.  
"What has my little duckling, what hurts you?"  
"Y ... no no no ... everything is fine!" at the last moment, Count Duckula were still braked. "I just want to know something about you. WHAT is that there !?"  
Emma turned and looked at the cake on the table. "This is a cake my little fool."  
"I'm not a fool!" protest the count. "Of course I know that this is a cake! My question is ... and look at my beak now ... WHAT is that cake?"  
"Oh. It's a German recipe. Vladimir told me about it. It's a marble cake ... we didn't have marble in the house. But old stones from the castle do it too. I used to grate them beforehand." Emma explained proudly.  
"Emma, you don't want to say anything, you put stones in the cake?"  
"Well, I couldn't put marble in if we didn't have one."  
Count Duckula groaned loudly.  
At that moment Vladimir came into the room, he had heard the conversation very well and wanted to clarify some things, which Emma probably did not understand correctly.  
Vladimir gently pushed the count aside to talk to Emma himself. "Emma, you don't call such a cake marble cake because there are marble stones in it."  
"No?"  
"No, Emma. It's called it because there are two types of dough in it. One part is without chocolate, the other with chocolate. Then you mix the dough carefully ... very carefully. This creates a pattern in dough that" Marbles "works. Do you understand now?"  
"Yes ... uh No."  
Vladimir sighed. "You know Emma, I think we'll do it together. Then I can show you."  
"You can bake?" asked Count Duckula in astonishment.  
"Well, let's put it this way ... I've often helped in the kitchen." Vladimir answered almost embarrassed. "And I learned a lot there."  
"Just don't hear Igor." Count Duckula sat up as if he were his butler. "It is not appropriate to stand for a duckula in the kitchen! What would your father say about that? And your father's father ?!" he replied Igor's warning voice.  
Vladimir had to grin. "Well made."  
"I say I have talent, I should go to show business."  
"Only that you can't photograph a vampire." Count Duckula abruptly stops at Vladimir's throw-in.  
"But you could play the role of the invisible perfectly."  
Count Duckula looked a little annoyed, frustrated. "Problems about problems."

in the evening  
Count Duckula actually wanted his food to be served, but felt an increasing expectation that made him get up from the table and go to the front door. Vladimir watched him closely. He also felt something that his brother perceived, and this satisfied him.  
It looked like the vampiric instincts came out more and more. Or should it be better to call premonitions?  
Count Duckula opened the door before Antanasia could knock on it.  
"I ... I wanted to talk to you Fridolin."  
He smiled thoughtfully. "Come in my love."  
"I ..." she held out a loaf of bread. "... a gift for you. I baked it myself."  
Count Duckula took it from her, the bread just smelled wonderful. For this reason alone, the water flowed into his beak. "Thank you."  
She went past him to the castle. "I was just about to have dinner. You are welcome to eat with ..." he smelled the fresh bread again. "It will be particularly delicious with your bread."  
She smiled. "Thanks for the invitation, but I've already eaten."  
"Oh ... I hope it doesn't matter if I eat something. I have to say I'm hungry."  
Antanasia considered. Actually, it wasn't the right time to tell him what had happened. But that gave her some time to think about the word.  
Finally she smiled. "No, you are welcome to have dinner."  
Count Duckula leads his girlfriend into the dining room. When asked about Igor, he only said that he should bring his dishes to the dining room because he had visitors.  
"And please tell Emma that I have fresh bread, I don't need anything else."  
Arrived in the dining room, Antanasia watched the count cut her bread and topped it with broccoli and cheese. Somehow she found him cute while eating. He was so completely different from what they said in Dorf. Oh, if only he weren't a vampire! then everything would be so easy! - but as…?  
"The bread is delicious! I've never eaten such a good one! You certainly baked it with love!" he noticed between the bites.  
"Vladimir once explained to me that a food that you made love tastes better." He frowned. "I wonder where does he want to know from now?"  
"He's right, my mother always says that. And it's true too."  
Antanasia turned and saw Vladimir looking at the door.  
She got up and went to him.  
"Vladimir ... I need to talk to you." As soon as she walked, Vladimir felt that it was important to her. Her tone confirmed this.  
Vladimir took her hand. "Come with me around the corner, I have a feeling it's better if he doesn't notice that much." She nodded seriously.  
Count Duckula looked up. "You won't kidnap my girlfriend?"  
"Don't worry, you will get it back unscathed."  
Hardly around the corner, Antanasia Vladimir stuck the letter to which she had received in the morning. "Read it."  
Vladimir let him through and then looked at her questioningly.  
Antanasia told him who Dorin was and when she knew him.  
"You don't want to accept his offer and marry him?" asked Vladimir.  
"No! Where are you going, of course not. But still what about him when he learns that someone else is there?"  
Vladimir frowned. He knew his brother. It was hard to say, maybe he would get angry with jealousy first and claim to challenge his opponents to a duel - but only to be afraid again and to withdraw. Or ... it would just break down.  
His mind was not particularly strong. However, such a message was a real burden, he had to admit.  
Finally he clicked his tongue.  
"I think it would be best to start by saying that an old childhood friend is visiting."  
"And that with the marriage proposal? Should I tell him?"  
Vladimir shook his head and returned the letter to her. "Better not. If somehow the language comes up, explain to him that you want to reject the application. And now ... it's better if I leave you alone. It's too private for me."

Count Duckula listened intently to what his girlfriend was telling him. So this Dorin was an old childhood friend of Antanasia? where should the problem be?  
That was so long ago. It certainly didn't mean anything.  
"And he wants to come to visit?" asked he.  
"Yes, a few days."  
"Hmmm ..." Count Duckula considered. "I would like to get to know him."  
"That ... that ... is not a good idea." Antanasia threw in uncertainly.  
"Why not?"  
"I mean, you're Count Duckula and he's from here."  
"May be," Count Duckula put his hands on his hips. "but I want to meet the man who used to be my girlfriend's boyfriend. I mean ..."  
"You are a vampire!" Antanasia interrupted him. "and he knows it."  
Count Duckula frowned. "There's no more to it, is there?"  
He went to his girlfriend and held her face in his hands. "You told me everything, didn't you?"  
Antanasia bowed her head. And shook her head. "I ... I ..." she sighs. "... it is so that he wants to ask my parents for my hand."  
Count Duckula dropped his hands in terror.  
Antanasia looked up at him. "But I don't want to marry him anymore ... I mean, when I was a kid we talked about it. But now?"  
Her look in his eyes grew deeper. "I love you!"  
Count Duckula pressed her to his chest, he felt like his heart was beating wildly.  
As Vladimir had explained, marriage between him and a mortal was doomed to fail! He sighs. What a terrible curse vampire existence was ...

  
A short time later, Vladimir heard his brother's cry of despair coming from the dining room. Antanasia had gone home again, the count had held back with that trembling beak. Vladimir ran to him. Igor and Emma also appeared to check on their masters. Emma tore down a wall again, but Count Duckula was too excited to keep an eye on it.  
"What should I do Vladimir? What so I do Igor ?!" He ran desperately from one to the other.  
"She has a friend who wants to ask for her hand!"  
"Oh a competitor for the my lord." An icy grin ran across Igor's face. "It seems to be getting interesting now."  
"How ... what do you mean Igor?"  
"Well I think you should clarify that according to old tradition with a duel, as it should be for a duck of your class!"  
Vladimir rolled his eyes.  
"A duel ... a duel ..." Count Duckula considered. "... what a duel? You know I always lose in card games."  
"I wasn't thinking of a card game, Milord. I was thinking of a life and death! A real duel that's worthy of them!"  
"On life and death? Igor, I could die!" protest Duckula horrified.  
"Not really my lord. You are already dead, you cannot be shot. Your life would not be threatened."  
"Unless he wants to fight a classic duel with swords." Vladimir noticed dryly. "that can kill a vampire too."  
Count Duckula swallowed more. "No! No, no ... I could die. And besides ... Igor you know I'm against violence!" he stands up to his full size. "NO DUEL!"  
"How unfortunate my lord. I hoped she would make me really happy in my old days."  
"Somehow I feel like you only had old days Igor." Grinned Vladimir. Igor gave him a punitive look.  
Vladimir shook his head. "No duel, of course not. I think… you should get to know him first. You have to be able to assess him before you think about how you could react. To do something headless - I think that's not a good idea."  
"Headless ..." Igor started to laugh.  
Both Duckulas glared at their butler.  
"That is not funny Igor, that is not funny!"  
"Igor has a special sense of humor." noticed Vladimir.


	6. Dorin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Count Duckula competitor comes wants to get engaged to Antanasia, she demands time to think it over. Now a "duel" for their love begins for the two drakes ...

Dorin had been excited all day, finally he should see his girlfriend again. A friend he had had since childhood, they had promised to love each other and marry one day. But then their paths separated. But only then had he noticed how much he really loved her. Certainly she felt the same way. She hadn't answered his letter. But in the end he had announced his visit at very short notice, so that she had hardly any time.  
Dorin was sure that she was as excited as he was and that she could hardly wait for his arrival.  
But now he was expecting his parents, who were already waiting for him at the bus stop with their horse-drawn carriages.  
They happily greeted their son when he got off the bus. His mother hugged him, his father loaded the suitcase onto the car. Dorin also greeted the horse by driving it through the mane and stroking it.  
The parents were proud of their son who was studying in the big city, he would surely go far! As a young boy, he always said that he wanted to be a doctor. With each passing year he came to his dream.  
Doris got on the car and together they drove towards the village.  
They asked him how he was doing, how far he was learning and whether he had already found a girlfriend in the big city, maybe a student?  
What he laughed at. "Mom, dad, you should know that I only have one for my heart."  
"But a handsome young man like you, really ..."  
Dorin smiled sheepishly. "Yes, there were one or the other that could spark interest. But I'm just staying loyal!"  
His parents were strangely quiet at the moment. Dorin overlooked this.  
"How is Antanasia doing? Surely she's already waiting impatiently for me!"  
"Well ... yes ... somehow ..."  
Dorin didn't understand.  
His mother cleared her throat. "Do you know Dorin, you haven't reported in a long time ..."  
"I know, and I regret it too. I have my letter of apology to her."  
"... it's just that she ... she's met someone else."  
"How?" Dorin was surprised, no longer understood anything. "who is it? where is he from here?"  
"Well he comes from the place ... somehow."  
The latter ignored Dorin. "Out of town? WHO? I want to talk to him! Everyone should know that we have always been together."  
"Well ... talking to him is not that easy. It could be dangerous!"  
"Dangerous?"  
"In this case ..."  
Dorin looked confused from his mother to his father. His eyes asked for an explanation.  
His father gave it to him only with reluctance. "Your new admirer is ... well ... he is ..."  
"Tell father, who should get out of town anyway? I'm sure my mother is exaggerating again."  
"In this case not, my son." Dorin looked at his father even more confused. Why didn't his parents want to use the language and just stammered around?  
His father sighed, then took a deep breath. "It's Count Duckula!"  
Dorin stared at his parents, surely this was just a stupid joke. THAT could only be a stupid joke! Only his parents looked like they weren't kidding.  
"Coming ... Count Duckula?"  
"This is no joke Dorin. A few weeks ago Antanasia was kidnapped to the castle. When we wanted to rescue her, she came down."  
"Was she hurt?" Dorin asked breathlessly.  
"No, but she's pretty confused. Had said that she was with the Counts in Italy and they had eaten spaghetti there. As I said, the poorest are very confused. And be that ..." he sighed.  
Dorin was stunned. "He must have hypnotized her, this monster! There is no other explanation! He has cast a spell over her vampire ... poor woman."  
He sighed. "Good thing I came, I'll find a way to save her!"  
"Please my son, don't mess with Count Duckula!" his mother sounded desperate.  
"Don't worry, I'm not going to mess with him. I'm just going to spell Antanasia too."  
"With this you challenge him Dorin!"  
Dorin shook herself. "Should I watch my loved one run into trouble?"  
They had finally arrived in their humble home. The father stopped the car and Dorin jumped off and took his suitcase.  
He couldn't wait to go to Antanasia ...

  
Count Duckula had been nervous and in a bad mood all day. Now he ran back and forth, sat down to calm down, and stood up again, muttering under his breath.  
"Chill out." Vladimir said to him. "you wanted to meditate to calm down ..."  
"That's right! I WANTED it!" Count Duckula raised an arm warningly. "I wanted it! - but I can't! ... I'm just too nervous!"  
He went to the window and looked out. "This strange guy is coming down from the big city down there and wants to argue with my girlfriend! He wants to marry her! How can I stay calm there?"  
Vladimir got up and went to him. "Antanasia told you she wasn't interested in getting married."  
Count Duckula sigh deeply. "Yes, she ... but her parents will."  
"It may be, but you can't force them. We don't have forced marriages."  
Count Duckula's eyes narrowed. "I won't let it ... I'll get in the way of the guy! So I was a duckula!"  
"What delightful words I hear from her beak." It was the deep voice of Igor who was now behind his young masters.  
Count Duckula turned to him with a scowl and looked at his butler questioningly. "How most of you do this Igor?"  
"Well, your father and all of her ancestors would have had no problem coping with such a problem."  
"I made it clear that I am not interested in a duel, Igor."  
Igor's grin looked threatening. "I wasn't thinking of a duel, Milord."  
"Then what do you mean?" before Igor could reply, Count Duckula waved him off. "No, no, I prefer not to know."  
"What a pity my lord, I was going to make a suggestion ..."  
"NO IGOR! I'd rather solve the problem my way!"  
"May I ask what kind of Milord is that?"  
"Certainly you can ask Igor. So ask."  
"What kind is your kind Milord?"  
Count Duckula shook his head. "Just because you were allowed to ask me this does not mean that I know it myself!" he turned back to the window.  
"I only know that I want to settle it peacefully according to good manners. But he will have to endure a few serious words."  
"As you mean my lord, as you mean."  
"Yes!" Count Duckula turned so quickly that his cape puffed up and Vladimir had a pale memory of his father.  
"I will defeat him with my words! After all, it is said that the word is more powerful than the sword!"  
"The feather." improved Vladimir.  
"W..what?"  
"It is said that the feather is more powerful than the sword."  
Count Duckula looked at him for a moment, irritated. Finally he waved it off. "I have a lot of feathers on my body!"  
"Nibs with which you wrote down words."  
"Don't mess me up, Vladimir." With these words he went out of the room.  
Vladimir looked after him.  
"Will you accompany him young Mr. Vladimir?" asked Igor.  
"I don't know if this would be such a good idea Igor."  
"I noticed that my lord has grown up. But I have to remark ... that he ... that he is still very ... naive. Not to say ... careless."  
"Isn't it what you accuse me of, Igor? That I'm careless?" Vladimir considered. "It's a thing between Antanasia and my brother, I'm not sure I should get involved. Fridolin wants to meet Dorin if I can get in between - I don't think it would be a good idea. Antanasia will take care of him. "  
"Your trust in all honors. Don't you think it could set a trap for the count?" threw in Igor.  
Vladimir turned around and looked at Igor thoughtfully.

Antanasia had already heard that Dorin had arrived. Her feelings were contradictory. On the one hand, she was really happy to see her old friend again, on the other hand, she wished that it would really stick to the "friend" idea. Dorin was a nice guy, actually he should get on well with Fridolin. If Fridolin wasn't exactly Count Duckula.  
Surely they had already told him about her and the counts, after all it was THE topic of conversation in Dorf!  
Poor Antanasia who was seduced by the evil Count Duckula! Antanasia shook her thoughts. She felt sorry for Count Duckula, he was such a nice guy! and they said so bad things ...  
"Antanasia!" even as she stared thoughtfully into the landscape, she heard someone call her name. It wasn't anyone, it was Dorin.  
She raised her head smiling. "Dorin." she replied gently.  
"I hope you're happy to see me again?"  
"Sure ..." Antanasia greeted him and hugged him. "I didn't expect you to think of me anymore."  
"I didn't have time, I was very busy. Studying caught me so much. Forgive me Anta."  
"I forgive you…"  
Dorin handed her a small package. She accepted it with a questioning look, opened it hesitantly, already suspecting what it was. And it was so. They were simple but beautiful engagement rings. Antanasia looked at her, then looked at Dorin. He smiled broadly. "Our childhood dream comes true."  
Antanasia tried to smile, but it looked very tormented. She closed the box and gave it back to Dorin. "Dorin ... no. I can't get engaged to you."  
"Why? I mean ..." he shook himself. "... there is so much to tell ..."  
"What? What do you tell each other?" her voice sounded somewhat annoyed.  
"Well ... they say that Count Duckula you ..."  
"He was eating spaghetti with me, was in the theater with me and danced with me. Nothing else."  
"really nothing more?" Dorin took her hand gently. "remember what he really did."  
"He was with me in Italy!"  
Dorin smiled sadly. "But Anta, you have to hear yourself how ridiculous this sounds."  
"And why? You know as well as everyone else that this castle disappears and then comes back sometime. At least as long as it is inhabited by a count."  
Dorin nodded. "Let's go for a walk ..."  
Whatever they did, there were enough ways to invite them. And since they both grew up here, she also knew which ones to go without getting lost. Since nature was just waking up, it also offered a beautiful sight. It would have been even nicer for Antanasia if she knew that she would not come back to the tiresome topic. So she always tried to direct Dorin's thoughts to other topics, she asked him about his studies, about his life in this huge metropolis. And he patiently answered her questions. However, that sooner or later they would come back to the topic of Count Duckula was inevitable.  
They were sitting next to each other on a large stone when the subject of engagement and marriage was raised.  
"Anta we dreamed of getting married someday as children. And now you refuse it? You don't even want to get engaged to me? She once I've discussed everything with our parents."  
"You should have asked me first!" Antanasia shook her head angrily.  
"But I thought…"  
"You thought ... you thought ... how about questions ?!" she got up and stamped angrily with a fin.  
Dorin considered. "Yes. I think it was wrong of me to decide it over your head. But bitterly explain to me why, you don't want any more now?  
Antanasia considered. Was it because of Fridolin? or because ...  
"Dorin, you've been away for so long and never reported again ..."  
"I explained ..."  
"You're going to be a doctor now and live in a big city, I don't think you want to go back to our village after you've got a taste of the city air. But ... but I want to stay here ..."  
"You don't know that! Maybe I want to come back? A good doctor, that could be used here!"  
Antanasia looked at him sideways. "Are you serious?"  
"If you want to stay here, I'll stay too!" Dorin replied resolutely.  
Antanasia sigh. "Dorin, I ... I can't promise you. I ..."  
Dorin got up with a jerk. "So it is! It's up to this vampire! Please Anta ... come to Cluj. I know a good professor there, he can break free from his spell! I'm sure of that!"  
"DORIN! For the last time! I'm under no spell! Fri… Count Duckula would never do this!"  
"Wouldn't he? Antanasia wake up! He's been a tyrant for centuries! How many of our ancestors fell victim to him? He's a monster! A fiend!"  
Antanasia shook her head. "Not that Count Duckula ..."

Count Duckula was hiding nearby behind a tree, he had been listening to your conversation for a while. It hurt him that he was always identified with his previous incarnations. He was no longer who he used to be! he was the one he was the first count! Before a certain Igorth cursed him. Anyway, he thought he was that one.  
When Antanasia finally defended him, he stepped out from behind the tree and revealed himself.  
"Fridolin," Antanasia said. "when are you here?"  
"Long enough to listen to this guy." he growled softly as he walked towards Dorin. Dorin froze when the dreaded vampire came up to him.  
Finally Count Duckula stopped in front of him. "I have only one thing to say about all of this ...!"  
Dorin's heart pounded faster and faster, if this vampire got angry, he wouldn't stand a chance against him.  
Count Duckula stick your tongue out. "Bäääääääähhhh!"  
Dorin stared at him, what was this? Antanasia shook her head, then hid her face with one hand.  
There was a twitch in Dorin's face. "That ... isn't that serious?"  
"Of course I'm serious! And don't challenge me!" Count Duckula's face darkened and he crossed his arms over his chest.  
Dorin pointed to him. "THAT ... THAT is Count Duckula?"  
Antanasia nodded. "HE is not THE Dorin! And yes, he is Count Duckula."  
Dorin looks at the count, and this one at him. They looked at each other appraisingly. Count Duckula didn't know what to think of this drake, he looked so normal. Only his clothes showed him that he was not one of the local farmers, his glasses vaguely reminded him of Dr. from Gänseklein as well as his white plumage.  
This count was anything but menacing to Dorin. He seemed weak to him and ...  
"Where are your fangs?"  
"I don't have any," replied Count Duckula, crossing his arms. "I'm vegetarian!"  
Dorin looked at him in amazement. "Ridiculous! A vegetarian vampire! What a bad joke!"  
"Dorin ... it's not a joke." Antanasia stood next to the count. "He is a vegetarian - I was eating with him!"  
"If that wasn't an imagination."  
"Imagination?" Count Duckula was confused. "how is that?"  
"Sure ... Count Duckula was with her in Italy just now. That sounds really believable." Dorin replied cynically.  
"It's the truth! My castle can travel wherever I want!"  
"The old ruin?"  
"You have no right to insult my castle!" Count Duckula sat up in front of Dorin. "And I'm AM vegetarian. I was awakened with ketchup."  
"Ketchup?" repeated Dorin. "... it's getting ridiculous!"  
The two drakes now faced each other beak after beak. Antanasia had the dull feeling that feathers would fly here soon if she didn't intervene. So she pushed between the two drapes and gently pushed them apart. "Stop! Immediately!"  
"It is not up to me."  
"Not on me either."

Antanasia shook her head. "Men! Really ..." then sigh again. "... I don't want you to argue." She turned to Dorin. "Dorin I ask you, we were together as children and yes ... I was convinced at the time that we were getting married. But a lot of time has passed, today I'm just not sure anymore."  
Then she turned to Count Duckula. "Count Duckula, you have to understand that I have been with Dorin for many years of my life. I ... understand myself! I am confused. I do not know what to think ... I do not know what to feel!"  
"Anta, be sensible, he's a vampire!"  
"Now DORIN is enough!" she took a deep breath. "I'll make you a suggestion. We will experience this day together. Then you can get to know each other well."  
With that she went a few steps further, stopped and turned to the two drakes. They both stared at each other with hostility. "Come on!"  
Her punishing look made her follow her.  
The two drakes were watching each other all the time and not necessarily in a positive sense. Everyone tried to assess the other. Dorin came to Count Duckula, rather stupid, he kept looking for the right words and in his eyes acted clumsily. Dorin was a know-it-all in the count's eyes and rather conceited about his knowledge because he kept improving it.  
Antanasia didn't really know how to react and always tried to make the best of the trip. Fridolin had been watching her for a long time when he was excited, a little clumsy. And being there with a competitor didn't necessarily improve it.  
Dorin was a clever boy, but now he seemed to enjoy being able to constantly improve Count Duckula.  
Antanasia sigh inside how should she locate that?  
Finally they came to a lake with a small rowboat. She jumped in. "Come on! Let's go to the lake a bit. I think that's good for all of us!"  
Count Duckula and Dorin followed her and both wanted to take the helm. A quarrel almost broke out again, but Antania's warning look made her take over one side of the oar.  
This also led to chaos in the beginning, since each of them rowed into a different tack and the boat only turned in circles.  
Even before this became another reason for further disputes, Antanasia intervened again. "Guys ... I'm going to give the tack now. I don't want feathers to fly here for something like that."  
Said and done. Approximately in the middle of the lake they let themselves go and watch the water, a larger fish swam around the boat and the three ducks watched this.  
"Now I believe it!" exclaimed Dorin.  
"What?" replied Count Duckula.  
"That you are actually the count, even if you look very weak ..."  
"Dorin please ..."  
"I mean he's not reflected in water!"  
"Didn't you believe me before?"  
"Not really ... I mean ... it's daytime you should have turned to dust long ago."  
"I'm vegetarian."  
"Oh ... and that really explains everything in your eyes?"  
Count Duckula looked up. He had never seen it like this before. Was it really the explanation for everything? Or was there more to it? after all, Vladimir doesn't mind the sunlight either. Even though he was a bloodsucker ... but a bastard. Was he just a bastard - or what?  
He turned back to the sight of the water, that sunlight was reflected on the surface and gave an image as if the sun was dancing.  
"How long are you going to stay Dorin?" Antanasia finally asked.  
"One week, I thought there was enough time for us to feed each other again."  
"A week!" Count Duckula was horrified. Because he had leaned forward so far, he lost his balance and fell headfirst into the water.  
He came up again, gasping. Just to see how Dorin could hardly keep from laughing.  
Antanasia looked at him angrily. She got up and took off her dress. "Come on guys, the water is nice. I think we should swim a little. We're ducks after all!"  
She jumped into the water. Count Duckula looked at her. He took off his soaking wet clothes and threw them into the boat so that he hit Dorin with them.  
"Come on! Or don't you dare?"  
Dorin also undressed and jumped after them.  
"And that no one submerses me the other! I won't speak to any of you anymore!" Antanasia warned her.

It was going to be another nice day. Later they swam on the shore, taking the boat with them. Count Duckula opened his somewhat wet clothes on branches and waited until they finally dried before putting them back on.  
Dorin looked him over. "Actually, you'd be fine if you just left Anta alone."  
Count Duckula turned to him in astonishment. Dorin continued to speak.  
"Completely serious, what do you have to offer her? You have a dilapidated castle, you are poor like a church mouse, you cannot offer her a family, you cannot have children."  
"It's not true, I have a son! ... well now he is my brother. But Vladimir was my son."  
"And ... what about the rest? You have nothing to offer Anta!"  
"And you, what do you have to offer her? Do you think she wants to live in a student booth?"  
"No. But I will become a doctor and then she can move from this little town with me to a big city that has everything to offer. Or if she wishes we can stay here, I open my own practice and we will start a family here . "  
Count Duckula looked at him.  
"It's a little different than an impoverished count in a hovel who is also a vampire and can never lead a mortal life."  
THAT was Duckula's sore point. Even if he didn't want to let it show. "I can start a family! Vladimir is proof of that!"  
Antanasia had heard only half of the conversation because she had come forward. But it was enough for her.  
"Dorin, I ask you to leave him at peace. You now know that he is not a danger to me, that should be enough for now."  
Then turned to the counts and hugged him. "And you Fridolin better go home now ... it's better that way ... don't come to the village." She hugged him.  
"It will be alright."  
Count Duckula stopped for a moment and watched them go. Only now did he feel what he was really hungry for! they had been out all day and had nothing to eat.

  
"Fridolin?" Dorin asked in astonishment. "Yes, that's his first name. But I ask you not to tell any more about it. You have now met him and hopefully believe me now that he did not cast a magic spell on me."  
"No, he's far too idiot for that."  
"Dorin! Please stop now. Besides, you can be quite glad that he is ..." idiot "as you call him. I call it good-natured. And he's too good-natured to do anything to you. If he were not - it would have looked bad for you! Don't forget this. "Antanasia Dorin warned.

  
Count Duckula arrived at the castle at home. Received by a worried Emma who was about to hug him. And an angry butler.  
"You've been gone all day, my lord!"  
"I think he's old enough for something like that." grinned Vladimir. "And as you can see Igor ... nothing happened to him."  
Count Duckula was busy escaping the hug of his nanny.  
"Emma let him go otherwise the day ends with your Duckyputz not doing so well anymore." The chicken dropped him.  
The count gasped on all fours. No sooner had he got himself together than he straightened up.  
"Emma you !!! oh what is it? ... prepare my food for me, I'm hungry!"  
"No!" came a resolute answer.  
"What ...? What no?" Count Duckula was confused.  
"It's called: why no?"  
Count Duckula groaned. "All right Emma. WHY no?"  
"You forgot the magic word."  
"What magic word?"  
"I think she means" please "." interjected Vladimir.  
"Okay okay, would you PLEASE prepare my dinner for me Emma?"  
"Better duck cleaning." With these words, the chicken disappeared.  
Count Duckula watched her for a moment. "Well, now I would like to discuss something with Vladimir. Only with Vladimir." The latter he supports with a meaningful look at his butler.  
Vladimir followed his brother's beckoning. Igor was grumbling behind.

In Count Duckula's room, he told his brother what he had experienced all day and how he assessed Dorin. "If he wasn't such a know-it-all and would approach Antanasia - he would actually be a really nice guy. But what bothers me ... is ... he wants to stay here for a week! A week with her! That's not fair!"  
Vladimir considered. "For a week, every day, you can't meet her. You're right. Much too dangerous!"  
"YES! That's exactly it! He can take it for himself! And there is nothing I can do about it!" Count Duckula wiped his hair.  
"The other problem is ... I mean ..." he wrestled with his hands. "Dorin said I couldn't offer her a future. And somehow ..." he sat on his bed. "... he's right! What do I have to offer her? A castle that can travel - and otherwise? I mean he'll be a doctor! I'm an impoverished nobleman."  
Vladimir sat down with him. He thought.  
"Whatever it is, in the end it's your decision."  
"That's why it doesn't suit me that he's been with her for seven days!" The count cursed. He looked at Vladimir. "Would you have any idea how I can be with her? At least near her?"  
Vladimir considered getting up, went to the window and looked out. "Hmmm ... I think ... they have a lot to do down there. A lot of work on such a farm.  
Maybe they could use a helper? "  
Count Duckula got up and went over to his brother. "If I would dress up and help?"  
"Would be a possibility. But of course there is no guarantee that you will be near them."  
Count Duckula sighed deeply and desperately. "And nonsense is the thought ..."  
Vladimir shook his head. "Unfortunately I can't help you there either. But ... look at it like this. He has her for a week. Then he is gone for a while, who knows for a long time. You are here, and even if you only do it every few Weeks, you are here on site! Take advantage of this time when you are alone with her. "

_Antanasia's diary_

_Dear Diary,_   
_today I actually had a wonderful day. What could be better than spending a day with very nice Erpeln. However, it would have been even nicer if they weren't arguing! Seeing Dorin again after so many years ... we played and bathed together at the lake as children. Today we visited him again. But there were three of us. My count was there too. Oh Dorin, why did you make fun of him?_   
_Dorin stays here for a week, then he has to go back._   
_At that time he actually wanted to get engaged to me. I gave him the rings back. I am not yet ready to decide, far from it._   
_I don't want to leave my count behind. I can't do that to him. He is so lovely._   
_And there is also this feeling of sadness, which I cannot really explain._   
_Dear diary too, I will now spend six days with Dorin. I hope I can explain my feelings to him. Does he understand them?_

  
A few days later.  
Dorin would be leaving in a few hours. It was not easy for him to leave Antanasia for months. She had refused the engagement, so he had to live with that. But she had told him that she hadn't made up her mind and that he had to be patient at least until the end of his studies.  
After all, it hadn't been a total rejection. Even if it didn't suit him that until then she was close to this strange vampire count. Vegetarian or not! he had to trust that her mind would prevail and she would realize how pointless such a relationship was.  
Dorin went across the fields, soon the sun would rise, and then it wouldn't be long ...  
His eyes narrowed. Hadn't he just seen something running across the field? in a stooped position as if someone were lurking?  
He sneaked up close. Was it the count? what was he waiting for? was this silly vegetarian talk a lie?

Awkward, loud. Vladimir tried not to show anything, should the other person think that he hadn't noticed. Maybe it would be fun to watch what he was up to.  
Vladimir focused again on his actual business, hunting rodents.

Dorin himself didn't know what he was going to do if he overpowered this silly count. Why? how was he supposed to prove that he was eating blood?

Vladimir concentrated on a mouse that was about to crawl out of its hole, it was about to happen…. Vladimir's muscles tensed, it had to go very quickly, it ...  
Vladimir jumped to the side instead of forward.  
Dorin's attack not only failed, he stumbled so much that he lay across the floor.  
Vladimir snorted angrily and yanked Dorin up to face him. "You chased my breakfast away!"  
"You ... you ..." Dorin froze, trembled. "You are not Count Duckula!"  
"Quick flag!" replied Vladimir. "I'm Vladimir Duckula. And you have to be this" Dorin ", I guess."  
"Where ... how do you know?"  
"You smell like Antanasia, you've been together for the last few days. You can smell it."  
"You can smell that?"  
Vladimir looked annoyed and grimaced. "With a little practice, yes!"  
Dorin was still trembling but could not decide to flee. "You are a vampire ..."  
"No wonder with my family, I think. But no ... I'm not really a vampire. I'm a mixed breed. A bastard vampire."  
Dorin laughed. "What do you want to tell one? A vegetarian vampire and a bastard vampire!"  
Vladimir turned almost in a flash, now faced beak to beak Dorin. "So you want to tell us that you want to be a doctor?"  
"I ... I ... please don't attack me!" Dorin whined in alarm.  
"I didn't mean to. Although I would like to help myself to a cattle ..." Vladimir sighs. "... I would also take so little that it would not harm the animal. And would not always take the same thing. But they would not understand it! Do not want to be talked to! ... I mean, of course, the village population - not the cattle . "  
now Dorin's spirit of research triumphed over his fear. He watched Vladimir as closely as if he were a study object.  
"Your eye ..." Dorin whispered "... you look like you've had an accident once."  
"The fragment of a grenade to be exact. This is what you look like when you get between the fronts. I can still speak of luck."  
Dorin watched him with an open beak. "I thought everything healed with a vampire?"  
Vladimir snorted contemptuously. "I said I was a bastard! I hope you listen better at the lectures!"  
"And you don't want to attack me now?"  
"Why should I? Even if you owe me at least a mouse. You are so modest in your choice of a meal - and even that you mortals must be a mess!"  
"Excuse me". Dorin didn't know exactly why, but the excuse was serious. This Duckula family was so different that it has been spoken of for centuries. It was just confusing.  
Vladimir waved it off. "All right, all right ... you'd better apologize to my brother. To contest his girlfriend ... really!"  
Dorin adjusted his glasses and straightened up in front of Vladimir with a swollen chest. Somehow he looked even more like Dr. of little goose even if he was a duck.  
"Wait a minute! I didn't know about this relationship! Besides, I and Anta have been together for ages!" At the same time, Dorin wondered where the courage for these words came from.  
Vladimir rolled his eyes. "As if you mortals could have any idea what" are forever ". My brother has been doomed to be lonely for centuries. Now he finds a girlfriend and a guy like you comes along and wants to take him away . "  
They faced each other beak after beak. Everyone as erect as possible. "I won't leave Anta a vampire! Never!" growled Dorin Vladimir.  
"We ..." Vladimir was no longer able to finish his sentence. The first villagers got up, it was time for Vladimir to clear the field. He turned to Dorin again. "We'll have to talk about it again." he just said "It's time for me to go home now."  
Dorin watched Vladimir go back up the rock to the castle. He looked up at Duckula Castle, which towered over the village like a constant threat.  
"Yes, I think we still have a lot to do ..." Dorin muttered to herself.

  
When Vladimir's castle came back, looked at Igor in punishment. "You were down in the village."  
"I was not in Igor village. I was in a field and chased my breakfast."  
"You were in danger, Vladimir. Again ... I had forbidden you."  
Vladimir's eyes were dark and punitive. "Igor, spare me. I was hunting, nothing more. Rodents as always."  
"There is enough stock in the castle."  
Vladimir groaned. "I know ... but ..." he grabbed his butler's arms. "... it's not the same Igor. And ..." he shook his head. "… Oh Igor you don't understand. Something different, where's my brother?"  
"He just got up young sir, I think he'll be in the kitchen now." Vladimir nodded. He turned from his butler and went to the kitchen behind.

His brother sat down and chewed on his cereal, he looked a little sleepy. "Good morning Vladimir."  
"Moin Fridolin." he sat next to him. "I hope it tastes good."  
Count Duckula nodded. "Muesli is delicious and healthy. Too bad you can't take it."  
Vladimir shrugged. "I'd like to try vegetable juice."  
"Seriously?" Count Duckula chewed a bite of the cereal.  
"Why shouldn't it be like this?"  
Count Duckula raised his tablespoon. "I'll take you by the word Vladimir. I'll get you vegetable juice, let's see if we still have any in the pantry."  
Vladimir considered. "I was downstairs," he began hesitantly. "wanted to chase my breakfast ... I met Dorin."  
Count Duckula choked and had to cough up some of his muesli before Emma wanted to "save" him. "And what is your impression of him?"  
Vladimir shrugged. "I don't know. He's friendly - but you are too. I think it won't be easy for you. But you have a chance."  
Count Duckula swallowed the last bite of cereal and stood up. "Dorin is going back to Cluj today,"  
He made a gesture that made his cape inflate again. "I accept the challenge! May the better one win!"Dorin

  
Dorin had been excited all day, finally he should see his girlfriend again. A friend he had had since childhood, they had promised to love each other and marry one day. But then their paths separated. But only then had he noticed how much he really loved her. Certainly she felt the same way. She hadn't answered his letter. But in the end he had announced his visit at very short notice, so that she had hardly any time.  
Dorin was sure that she was as excited as he was and that she could hardly wait for his arrival.  
But now he was expecting his parents, who were already waiting for him at the bus stop with their horse-drawn carriages.  
They happily greeted their son when he got off the bus. His mother hugged him, his father loaded the suitcase onto the car. Dorin also greeted the horse by driving it through the mane and stroking it.  
The parents were proud of their son who was studying in the big city, he would surely go far! As a young boy, he always said that he wanted to be a doctor. With each passing year he came to his dream.  
Doris got on the car and together they drove towards the village.  
They asked him how he was doing, how far he was learning and whether he had already found a girlfriend in the big city, maybe a student?  
What he laughed at. "Mom, dad, you should know that I only have one for my heart."  
"But a handsome young man like you, really ..."  
Dorin smiled sheepishly. "Yes, there were one or the other that could spark interest. But I'm just staying loyal!"  
His parents were strangely quiet at the moment. Dorin overlooked this.  
"How is Antanasia doing? Surely she's already waiting impatiently for me!"  
"Well ... yes ... somehow ..."  
Dorin didn't understand.  
His mother cleared her throat. "Do you know Dorin, you haven't reported in a long time ..."  
"I know, and I regret it too. I have my letter of apology to her."  
"... it's just that she ... she's met someone else."  
"How?" Dorin was surprised, no longer understood anything. "who is it? where does it come from?"  
"Well he comes from the place ... somehow."  
The latter ignored Dorin. "Out of town? WHO? I want to talk to him! Everyone should know that we have always been together."  
"Well ... talking to him is not that easy. It could be dangerous!"  
"Dangerous?"  
"In this case ..."  
Dorin looked confused from his mother to his father. His eyes asked for an explanation.  
His father gave it to him only with reluctance. "Your new admirer is ... well ... he is ..."  
"Tell father, who should get out of town anyway? I'm sure my mother is exaggerating again."  
"In this case not, my son." Dorin looked at his father even more confused. Why didn't his parents want to use the language and just stammered around?  
His father sighed, then took a deep breath. "It's Count Duckula!"  
Dorin stared at his parents, surely this was just a stupid joke. THAT could only be a stupid joke! Only his parents looked like they weren't kidding.  
"Coming ... Count Duckula?"  
"This is no joke Dorin. A few weeks ago Antanasia was kidnapped to the castle. When we wanted to rescue her, she came down."  
"Was she hurt?" Dorin asked breathlessly.  
"No, but she's pretty confused. Had said that she was with the Counts in Italy and they had eaten spaghetti there. As I said, the poorest are very confused. And be that ..." he sighed.  
Dorin was stunned. "He must have hypnotized her, this monster! There is no other explanation! He has cast a spell over her vampire ... poor woman."  
He sighed. "Good thing I came, I'll find a way to save her!"  
"Please my son, don't mess with Count Duckula!" his mother sounded desperate.  
"Don't worry, I'm not going to mess with him. I'm just going to spell Antanasia too."  
"With this you challenge him Dorin!"  
Dorin shook herself. "Should I watch my loved one run into trouble?"  
They had finally arrived in their humble home. The father stopped the car and Dorin jumped off and took his suitcase.  
He couldn't wait to go to Antanasia ...

  
Count Duckula had been nervous and in a bad mood all day. Now he ran back and forth, sat down to calm down, and stood up again, muttering under his breath.  
"Chill out." Vladimir said to him. "you wanted to meditate to calm down ..."  
"That's right! I WANTED it!" Count Duckula raised an arm warningly. "I wanted it! - but I can't! ... I'm just too nervous!"  
He went to the window and looked out. "This strange guy is coming down from the big city down there and wants to argue with my girlfriend! He wants to marry her! How can I stay calm there?"  
Vladimir got up and went to him. "Antanasia told you she wasn't interested in getting married."  
Count Duckula sigh deeply. "Yes, she ... but her parents will."  
"It may be, but you can't force them. We don't have forced marriages."  
Count Duckula's eyes narrowed. "I won't let it ... I'll get in the way of the guy! So I was a duckula!"  
"What delightful words I hear from her beak." It was the deep voice of Igor who was now behind his young masters.  
Count Duckula turned to him with a scowl and looked at his butler questioningly. "How most of you do this Igor?"  
"Well, your father and all of her ancestors would have had no problem coping with such a problem."  
"I made it clear that I am not interested in a duel, Igor."  
Igor's grin looked threatening. "I wasn't thinking of a duel, my lord."  
"Then what do you mean?" before Igor could reply, Count Duckula waved him off. "No, no, I prefer not to know."  
"What a pity my lord, I was going to make a suggestion ..."  
"NO IGOR! I'd rather solve the problem my way!"  
"May I ask what kind of my lord is that?"  
"Certainly you can ask Igor. So ask."  
"What kind is your kind my lord?"  
Count Duckula shook his head. "Just because you were allowed to ask me this does not mean that I know it myself!" he turned back to the window.  
"I only know that I want to settle it peacefully according to good manners. But he will have to endure a few serious words."  
"As you mean my lord, as you mean."  
"Yes!" Count Duckula turned so quickly that his cape puffed up and Vladimir had a pale memory of his father.  
"I will defeat him with my words! After all, it is said that the word is more powerful than the sword!"  
"The feather." improved Vladimir.  
"W..what?"  
"It is said that the feather is more powerful than the sword."  
Count Duckula looked at him for a moment, irritated. Finally he waved it off. "I have a lot of feathers on my body!"  
"Nibs with which you wrote down words."  
"Don't mess me up, Vladimir." With these words he went out of the room.  
Vladimir looked after him.  
"Will you accompany him young Mr. Vladimir?" asked Igor.  
"I don't know if this would be such a good idea Igor."  
"I noticed that my lord has grown up. But I have to remark ... that he ... that he is still very ... naive. Not to say ... careless."  
"Isn't it what you accuse me of, Igor? That I'm careless?" Vladimir considered. "It's a thing between Antanasia and my brother, I'm not sure I should get involved. Fridolin wants to meet Dorin if I can get in between - I don't think it would be a good idea. Antanasia will take care of him. "  
"Your trust in all honors. Don't you think it could set a trap for the count?" threw in Igor.  
Vladimir turned around and looked at Igor thoughtfully.

Antanasia had already heard that Dorin had arrived. Her feelings were contradictory. On the one hand, she was really happy to see her old friend again, on the other hand, she wished that it would really stick to the "friend" idea. Dorin was a nice guy, actually he should get on well with Fridolin. If Fridolin wasn't exactly Count Duckula.  
Surely they had already told him about her and the counts, after all it was THE topic of conversation in Dorf!  
Poor Antanasia who was seduced by the evil Count Duckula! Antanasia shook her thoughts. She felt sorry for Count Duckula, he was such a nice guy! and they said so bad things ...  
"Antanasia!" even as she stared thoughtfully into the landscape, she heard someone call her name. It wasn't anyone, it was Dorin.  
She raised her head smiling. "Dorin." she replied gently.  
"I hope you're happy to see me again?"  
"Sure ..." Antanasia greeted him and hugged him. "I didn't expect you to think of me anymore."  
"I didn't have time, I was very busy. Studying caught me so much. Forgive me Anta."  
"I forgive you…"  
Dorin handed her a small package. She accepted it with a questioning look, opened it hesitantly, already suspecting what it was. And it was so. They were simple but beautiful engagement rings. Antanasia looked at her, then looked at Dorin. He smiled broadly. "Our childhood dream comes true."  
Antanasia tried to smile, but it looked very tormented. She closed the box and gave it back to Dorin. "Dorin ... no. I can't get engaged to you."  
"Why? I mean ..." he shook himself. "... there is so much to tell ..."  
"What? What do you tell each other?" her voice sounded somewhat annoyed.  
"Well ... they say that Count Duckula you ..."  
"He was eating spaghetti with me, was in the theater with me and danced with me. Nothing else."  
"really nothing more?" Dorin took her hand gently. "remember what he really did."  
"He was with me in Italy!"  
Dorin smiled sadly. "But Anta, you have to hear yourself how ridiculous this sounds."  
"And why? You know as well as everyone else that this castle disappears and then comes back sometime. At least as long as it is inhabited by a count."  
Dorin nodded. "Let's go for a walk ..."  
Whatever they did, there were enough ways to invite them. And since they both grew up here, she also knew which ones to go without getting lost. Since nature was just waking up, it also offered a beautiful sight. It would have been even nicer for Antanasia if she knew that she would not come back to the tiresome topic. So she always tried to direct Dorin's thoughts to other topics, she asked him about his studies, about his life in this huge metropolis. And he patiently answered her questions. However, that sooner or later they would come back to the topic of Count Duckula was inevitable.  
They were sitting next to each other on a large stone when the subject of engagement and marriage was raised.  
"Anta we dreamed of getting married someday as children. And now you refuse it? You don't even want to get engaged to me? She once I've discussed everything with our parents."  
"You should have asked me first!" Antanasia shook her head angrily.  
"But I thought…"  
"You thought ... you thought ... how about questions ?!" she got up and stamped angrily with a fin.  
Dorin considered. "Yes. I think it was wrong of me to decide it over your head. But bitterly explain to me why, you don't want any more now?  
Antanasia considered. Was it because of Fridolin? or because ...  
"Dorin, you've been away for so long and never reported again ..."  
"I explained ..."  
"You're going to be a doctor now and live in a big city, I don't think you want to go back to our village after you've got a taste of the city air. But ... but I want to stay here ..."  
"You don't know that! Maybe I want to come back? A good doctor, that could be used here!"  
Antanasia looked at him sideways. "Are you serious?"  
"If you want to stay here, I'll stay too!" Dorin replied resolutely.  
Antanasia sigh. "Dorin, I ... I can't promise you. I ..."  
Dorin got up with a jerk. "So it is! It's up to this vampire! Please Anta ... come to Cluj. I know a good professor there, he can break free from his spell! I'm sure of that!"  
"DORIN! For the last time! I'm under no spell! Fri… Count Duckula would never do this!"  
"Wouldn't he? Antanasia wake up! He's been a tyrant for centuries! How many of our ancestors fell victim to him? He's a monster! A fiend!"  
Antanasia shook her head. "Not that Count Duckula ..."

Count Duckula was hiding nearby behind a tree, he had been listening to your conversation for a while. It hurt him that he was always identified with his previous incarnations. He was no longer who he used to be! he was the one he was the first count! Before a certain Igorth cursed him. Anyway, he thought he was that one.  
When Antanasia finally defended him, he stepped out from behind the tree and revealed himself.  
"Fridolin," Antanasia said. "when are you here?"  
"Long enough to listen to this guy." he growled softly as he walked towards Dorin. Dorin froze when the dreaded vampire came up to him.  
Finally Count Duckula stopped in front of him. "I have only one thing to say about all of this ...!"  
Dorin's heart pounded faster and faster, if this vampire got angry, he wouldn't stand a chance against him.  
Count Duckula stick your tongue out. "Bäääääääähhhh!"  
Dorin stared at him, what was this? Antanasia shook her head, then hid her face with one hand.  
There was a twitch in Dorin's face. "That ... isn't that serious?"  
"Of course I'm serious! And don't challenge me!" Count Duckula's face darkened and he crossed his arms over his chest.  
Dorin pointed to him. "THAT ... THAT is Count Duckula?"  
Antanasia nodded. "HE is not THE Dorin! And yes, he is Count Duckula."  
Dorin looks at the count, and this one at him. They looked at each other appraisingly. Count Duckula didn't know what to think of this drake, he looked so normal. Only his clothes showed him that he was not one of the local farmers, his glasses vaguely reminded him of Dr. from Gänseklein as well as his white plumage.  
This count was anything but menacing to Dorin. He seemed weak to him and ...  
"Where are your fangs?"  
"I don't have any," replied Count Duckula, crossing his arms. "I'm vegetarian!"  
Dorin looked at him in amazement. "Ridiculous! A vegetarian vampire! What a bad joke!"  
"Dorin ... it's not a joke." Antanasia stood next to the count. "He is a vegetarian - I was eating with him!"  
"If that wasn't an imagination."  
"Imagination?" Count Duckula was confused. "how is that?"  
"Sure ... Count Duckula was with her in Italy just now. That sounds really believable." Dorin replied cynically.  
"It's the truth! My castle can travel wherever I want!"  
"The old ruin?"  
"You have no right to insult my castle!" Count Duckula sat up in front of Dorin. "And I'm AM vegetarian. I was awakened with ketchup."  
"Ketchup?" repeated Dorin. "... it's getting ridiculous!"  
The two drakes now faced each other beak after beak. Antanasia had the dull feeling that feathers would fly here soon if she didn't intervene. So she pushed between the two drapes and gently pushed them apart. "Stop! Immediately!"  
"It is not up to me."  
"Not on me either."

Antanasia shook her head. "Men! Really ..." then sigh again. "... I don't want you to argue." She turned to Dorin. "Dorin I ask you, we were together as children and yes ... I was convinced at the time that we were getting married. But a lot of time has passed, today I'm just not sure anymore."  
Then she turned to Count Duckula. "Count Duckula, you have to understand that I have been with Dorin for many years of my life. I ... understand myself! I am confused. I do not know what to think ... I do not know what to feel!"  
"Anta, be sensible, he's a vampire!"  
"Now DORIN is enough!" she took a deep breath. "I'll make you a suggestion. We will experience this day together. Then you can get to know each other well."  
With that she went a few steps further, stopped and turned to the two drakes. They both stared at each other with hostility. "Come on!"  
Her punishing look made her follow her.  
The two drakes were watching each other all the time and not necessarily in a positive sense. Everyone tried to assess the other. Dorin came to Count Duckula, rather stupid, he kept looking for the right words and in his eyes acted clumsily. Dorin was a know-it-all in the count's eyes and rather conceited about his knowledge because he kept improving it.  
Antanasia didn't really know how to react and always tried to make the best of the trip. Fridolin had been watching her for a long time when he was excited, a little clumsy. And being there with a competitor didn't necessarily improve it.  
Dorin was a clever boy, but now he seemed to enjoy being able to constantly improve Count Duckula.  
Antanasia sigh inside how should she locate that?  
Finally they came to a lake with a small rowboat. She jumped in. "Come on! Let's go to the lake a bit. I think that's good for all of us!"  
Count Duckula and Dorin followed her and both wanted to take the helm. A quarrel almost broke out again, but Antania's warning look made her take over one side of the oar.  
This also led to chaos in the beginning, since each of them rowed into a different tack and the boat only turned in circles.  
Even before this became another reason for further disputes, Antanasia intervened again. "Guys ... I'm going to give the tack now. I don't want feathers to fly here for something like that."  
Said and done. Approximately in the middle of the lake they let themselves go and watch the water, a larger fish swam around the boat and the three ducks watched this.  
"Now I believe it!" exclaimed Dorin.  
"What?" replied Count Duckula.  
"That you are actually the count, even if you look very weak ..."  
"Dorin please ..."  
"I mean he's not reflected in water!"  
"Didn't you believe me before?"  
"Not really ... I mean ... it's daytime you should have turned to dust long ago."  
"I'm vegetarian."  
"Oh ... and that really explains everything in your eyes?"  
Count Duckula looked up. He had never seen it like this before. Was it really the explanation for everything? Or was there more to it? after all, Vladimir doesn't mind the sunlight either. Even though he was a bloodsucker ... but a bastard. Was he just a bastard - or what?  
He turned back to the sight of the water, that sunlight was reflected on the surface and gave an image as if the sun was dancing.  
"How long are you going to stay Dorin?" Antanasia finally asked.  
"One week, I thought there was enough time for us to feed each other again."  
"A week!" Count Duckula was horrified. Because he had leaned forward so far, he lost his balance and fell headfirst into the water.  
He came up again, gasping. Just to see how Dorin could hardly keep from laughing.  
Antanasia looked at him angrily. She got up and took off her dress. "Come on guys, the water is nice. I think we should swim a little. We're ducks after all!"  
She jumped into the water. Count Duckula looked at her. He took off his soaking wet clothes and threw them into the boat so that he hit Dorin with them.  
"Come on! Or don't you dare?"  
Dorin also undressed and jumped after them.  
"And that no one submerses me the other! I won't speak to any of you anymore!" Antanasia warned her.

It was going to be another nice day. Later they swam on the shore, taking the boat with them. Count Duckula opened his somewhat wet clothes on branches and waited until they finally dried before putting them back on.  
Dorin looked him over. "Actually, you'd be fine if you just left Anta alone."  
Count Duckula turned to him in astonishment. Dorin continued to speak.  
"Completely serious, what do you have to offer her? You have a dilapidated castle, you are poor like a church mouse, you cannot offer her a family, you cannot have children."  
"It's not true, I have a son! ... well now he is my brother. But Vladimir was my son."  
"And ... what about the rest? You have nothing to offer Anta!"  
"And you, what do you have to offer her? Do you think she wants to live in a student booth?"  
"No. But I will become a doctor and then she can move from this little town with me to a big city that has everything to offer. Or if she wishes we can stay here, I open my own practice and we will start a family here . "  
Count Duckula looked at him.  
"It's a little different than an impoverished count in a hovel who is also a vampire and can never lead a mortal life."  
THAT was Duckula's sore point. Even if he didn't want to let it show. "I can start a family! Vladimir is proof of that!"  
Antanasia had heard only half of the conversation because she had come forward. But it was enough for her.  
"Dorin, I ask you to leave him at peace. You now know that he is not a danger to me, that should be enough for now."  
Then turned to the counts and hugged him. "And you Fridolin better go home now ... it's better that way ... don't come to the village." She hugged him.  
"It will be alright."  
Count Duckula stopped for a moment and watched them go. Only now did he feel what he was really hungry for! they had been out all day and had nothing to eat.

  
"Fridolin?" Dorin asked in astonishment. "Yes, that's his first name. But I ask you not to tell any more about it. You have now met him and hopefully believe me now that he did not cast a magic spell on me."  
"No, he's far too idiot for that."  
"Dorin! Please stop now. Besides, you can be quite glad that he is ..." idiot "as you call him. I call it good-natured. And he's too good-natured to do anything to you. If he were not - it would have looked bad for you! Don't forget this. "Antanasia Dorin warned.

  
Count Duckula arrived at the castle at home. Received by a worried Emma who was about to hug him. And an angry butler.  
"You've been gone all day, my lord!"  
"I think he's old enough for something like that." grinned Vladimir. "And as you can see Igor ... nothing happened to him."  
Count Duckula was busy escaping the hug of his nanny.  
"Emma let him go otherwise the day ends with your Duckyputz not doing so well anymore." The chicken dropped him.  
The count gasped on all fours. No sooner had he got himself together than he straightened up.  
"Emma you !!! oh what is it? ... prepare my food for me, I'm hungry!"  
"No!" came a resolute answer.  
"What ...? What no?" Count Duckula was confused.  
"It's called: why no?"  
Count Duckula groaned. "All right Emma. WHY no?"  
"You forgot the magic word."  
"What magic word?"  
"I think she means" please "." interjected Vladimir.  
"Okay okay, would you PLEASE prepare my dinner for me Emma?"  
"Better duck cleaning." With these words, the chicken disappeared.  
Count Duckula watched her for a moment. "Well, now I would like to discuss something with Vladimir. Only with Vladimir." The latter he supports with a meaningful look at his butler.  
Vladimir followed his brother's beckoning. Igor was grumbling behind.

In Count Duckula's room, he told his brother what he had experienced all day and how he assessed Dorin. "If he wasn't such a know-it-all and would approach Antanasia - he would actually be a really nice guy. But what bothers me ... is ... he wants to stay here for a week! A week with her! That's not fair!"  
Vladimir considered. "For a week, every day, you can't meet her. You're right. Much too dangerous!"  
"YES! That's exactly it! He can take it for himself! And there is nothing I can do about it!" Count Duckula wiped his hair.  
"The other problem is ... I mean ..." he wrestled with his hands. "Dorin said I couldn't offer her a future. And somehow ..." he sat on his bed. "... he's right! What do I have to offer her? A castle that can travel - and otherwise? I mean he'll be a doctor! I'm an impoverished nobleman."  
Vladimir sat down with him. He thought.  
"Whatever it is, in the end it's your decision."  
"That's why it doesn't suit me that he's been with her for seven days!" The count cursed. He looked at Vladimir. "Would you have any idea how I can be with her? At least near her?"  
Vladimir considered getting up, went to the window and looked out. "Hmmm ... I think ... they have a lot to do down there. A lot of work on such a farm.  
Maybe they could use a helper? "  
Count Duckula got up and went over to his brother. "If I would dress up and help?"  
"Would be a possibility. But of course there is no guarantee that you will be near them."  
Count Duckula sighed deeply and desperately. "And nonsense is the thought ..."  
Vladimir shook his head. "Unfortunately I can't help you there either. But ... look at it like this. He has her for a week. Then he is gone for a while, who knows for a long time. You are here, and even if you only do it every few Weeks, you are here on site! Take advantage of this time when you are alone with her. "

Antanasia's diary

Dear Diary,  
today I actually had a wonderful day. What could be better than spending a day with very nice Erpeln. However, it would have been even nicer if they weren't arguing! Seeing Dorin again after so many years ... we played and bathed together at the lake as children. Today we visited him again. But there were three of us. My count was there too. Oh Dorin, why did you make fun of him?  
Dorin stays here for a week, then he has to go back.  
At that time he actually wanted to get engaged to me. I gave him the rings back. I am not yet ready to decide, far from it.  
I don't want to leave my count behind. I can't do that to him. He is so lovely.  
And there is also this feeling of sadness, which I cannot really explain.  
Dear diary too, I will now spend six days with Dorin. I hope I can explain my feelings to him. Does he understand them?

  
A few days later.  
Dorin would be leaving in a few hours. It was not easy for him to leave Antanasia for months. She had refused the engagement, so he had to live with that. But she had told him that she hadn't made up her mind and that he had to be patient at least until the end of his studies.  
After all, it hadn't been a total rejection. Even if it didn't suit him that until then she was close to this strange vampire count. Vegetarian or not! he had to trust that her mind would prevail and she would realize how pointless such a relationship was.  
Dorin went across the fields, soon the sun would rise, and then it wouldn't be long ...  
His eyes narrowed. Hadn't he just seen something running across the field? in a stooped position as if someone were lurking?  
He sneaked up close. Was it the count? what was he waiting for? was this silly vegetarian talk a lie?

Awkward, loud. Vladimir tried not to show anything, should the other person think that he hadn't noticed. Maybe it would be fun to watch what he was up to.  
Vladimir focused again on his actual business, hunting rodents.

Dorin himself didn't know what he was going to do if he overpowered this silly count. Why? how was he supposed to prove that he was eating blood?

Vladimir concentrated on a mouse that was about to crawl out of its hole, it was about to happen…. Vladimir's muscles tensed, it had to go very quickly, it ...  
Vladimir jumped to the side instead of forward.  
Dorin's attack not only failed, he stumbled so much that he lay across the floor.  
Vladimir snorted angrily and yanked Dorin up to face him. "You chased my breakfast away!"  
"You ... you ..." Dorin froze, trembled. "You are not Count Duckula!"  
"Quick flag!" replied Vladimir. "I'm Vladimir Duckula. And you have to be this" Dorin ", I guess."  
"Where ... how do you know?"  
"You smell like Antanasia, you've been together for the last few days. You can smell it."  
"You can smell that?"  
Vladimir looked annoyed and grimaced. "With a little practice, yes!"  
Dorin was still trembling but could not decide to flee. "You are a vampire ..."  
"No wonder with my family, I think. But no ... I'm not really a vampire. I'm a mixed breed. A bastard vampire."  
Dorin laughed. "What do you want to tell one? A vegetarian vampire and a bastard vampire!"  
Vladimir turned almost in a flash, now faced beak to beak Dorin. "So you want to tell us that you want to be a doctor?"  
"I ... I ... please don't attack me!" Dorin whined in alarm.  
"I didn't mean to. Although I would like to help myself to a cattle ..." Vladimir sighs. "... I would also take so little that it would not harm the animal. And would not always take the same thing. But they would not understand it! Do not want to be talked to! ... I mean, of course, the village population - not the cattle . "  
now Dorin's spirit of research triumphed over his fear. He watched Vladimir as closely as if he were a study object.  
"Your eye ..." Dorin whispered "... you look like you've had an accident once."  
"The fragment of a grenade to be exact. This is what you look like when you get between the fronts. I can still speak of luck."  
Dorin watched him with an open beak. "I thought everything healed with a vampire?"  
Vladimir snorted contemptuously. "I said I was a bastard! I hope you listen better at the lectures!"  
"And you don't want to attack me now?"  
"Why should I? Even if you owe me at least a mouse. You are so modest in your choice of a meal - and even that you mortals must be a mess!"  
"Excuse me". Dorin didn't know exactly why, but the excuse was serious. This Duckula family was so different that it has been spoken of for centuries. It was just confusing.  
Vladimir waved it off. "All right, all right ... you'd better apologize to my brother. To contest his girlfriend ... really!"  
Dorin adjusted his glasses and straightened up in front of Vladimir with a swollen chest. Somehow he looked even more like Dr. of little goose even if he was a duck.  
"Wait a minute! I didn't know about this relationship! Besides, I and Anta have been together for ages!" At the same time, Dorin wondered where the courage for these words came from.  
Vladimir rolled his eyes. "As if you mortals could have any idea what" are forever ". My brother has been doomed to be lonely for centuries. Now he finds a girlfriend and a guy like you comes along and wants to take him away . "  
They faced each other beak after beak. Everyone as erect as possible. "I won't leave Anta a vampire! Never!" growled Dorin Vladimir.  
"We ..." Vladimir was no longer able to finish his sentence. The first villagers got up, it was time for Vladimir to clear the field. He turned to Dorin again. "We'll have to talk about it again." he just said "It's time for me to go home now."  
Dorin watched Vladimir go back up the rock to the castle. He looked up at Duckula Castle, which towered over the village like a constant threat.  
"Yes, I think we still have a lot to do ..." Dorin muttered to herself.

  
When Vladimir's castle came back, looked at Igor in punishment. "You were down in the village."  
"I was not in Igor village. I was in a field and chased my breakfast."  
"You were in danger, Vladimir. Again ... I had forbidden you."  
Vladimir's eyes were dark and punitive. "Igor, spare me. I was hunting, nothing more. Rodents as always."  
"There is enough stock in the castle."  
Vladimir groaned. "I know ... but ..." he grabbed his butler's arms. "... it's not the same Igor. And ..." he shook his head. "… Oh Igor you don't understand. Something different, where's my brother?"  
"He just got up young sir, I think he'll be in the kitchen now." Vladimir nodded. He turned from his butler and went to the kitchen behind.

His brother sat down and chewed on his cereal, he looked a little sleepy. "Good morning Vladimir."  
"Moin Fridolin." he sat next to him. "I hope it tastes good."  
Count Duckula nodded. "Muesli is delicious and healthy. Too bad you can't take it."  
Vladimir shrugged. "I'd like to try vegetable juice."  
"Seriously?" Count Duckula chewed a bite of the cereal.  
"Why shouldn't it be like this?"  
Count Duckula raised his tablespoon. "I'll take you by the word Vladimir. I'll get you vegetable juice, let's see if we still have any in the pantry."  
Vladimir considered. "I was downstairs," he began hesitantly. "wanted to chase my breakfast ... I met Dorin."  
Count Duckula choked and had to cough up some of his muesli before Emma wanted to "save" him. "And what is your impression of him?"  
Vladimir shrugged. "I don't know. He's friendly - but you are too. I think it won't be easy for you. But you have a chance."  
Count Duckula swallowed the last bite of cereal and stood up. "Dorin is going back to Cluj today,"  
He made a gesture that made his cape inflate again. "I accept the challenge! May the better one win!"


End file.
